346 Some Foreign Birds I have kept. [Sess. 
information on their habits in the aviary has been collected by 
Dr Russ. These diminutive finches are found in Asia, Africa, 
and Australia, whilst no representative of their family has been 
discovered in America or Europe. In size they vary from that 
of our chaffinch down to something less than our smallest 
wren. These of all birds deserve the name of Love-birds. 
At the dealers’ shops in London hundreds may be seen in 
one cage, sitting as close together as they can, trying to keep 
one another warm and lovingly arranging each other’s feathers. 
At night they will be found either to occupy an artificial nest 
or to sit close to each other on a perch. As regards cages, it 
should be remembered that some which would safely hold a 
canary would allow the smallest of the foreign finches to 
escape. The wires of cages for foreign finches must not be 
more than five-eighths of an inch apart, and half an inch 
wire is better. 
Many people who never heard the name of any other foreign 
finch have heard of the “ Avadavat” (Estrelda Amandava). 
The dealer's name is Avadavat or Averdavat. The German 
name is “Tigerfink” or “Getigerter-Astrild.” These little 
birds appear to have been casually sent to Europe many years 
ago, and arrive now in ever-increasing numbers. The Amavude 
finch is one of the smallest foreign finches, and is found in 
great numbers in British India and Java, where he lives on 
seeds, building a nest in October in low bushes or between the 
stems of high grasses. The nest is constructed of vegetable 
fibres, is completely covered over, and has an opening in the 
side. The eggs are white, like all the Estrelde: their usual 
number seems to be four. Gedney, in his ‘Foreign Cage 
Birds,’ says :-— 
This bird is well known to all Anglo-Indians, abounding as it does in 
the East Indian islands and India proper, and everywhere constituting 
himself a nuisance to the cultivators of land by the wanton destruction 
of seed. He isa tiny little fellow, about three inches long, thoroughly 
“game,” as brilliant in his wedding clothes as a polished gem, glinting in 
the sunshine as he flits about amongst the tall herbage, and ever ready to 
pounce upon a rival and to do battle for the exclusive possession of his wee 
brown wife. His love note is remarkably clear and loud, resembling 
somewhat the liquid notes of our willow wren; and no matter how 
numerous may be the occupants of your bird room, the Avadavat’s Ban 
can always be distinguished above other songs. 
