82 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 
My friend Mr. E. W. Harper secured a specimen of 
this fine bird lately, which passed into the possession 
of a well-known naturalist at home. This was pro- 
cured in Tiretta Bazar at Calcutta, and some time later a 
dozen birds of the species turned up there, and were 
bought for training by a Parsee resident of that city, 
who took them to England for exhibition. The two 
birds, on which I was able to re-establish the species 
which Mr. Hume had first named from two skins, were 
obtained from the late Mr. Rutledge at Entally, so that 
in Calcutta one has the best chance of coming across 
one of the rarest and least known of Indian birds, only 
the few specimens I have alluded to being known to exist. 
A very handsome foreign Weaver is often to be found 
for sale in the Bombay market, and now and then in 
Yaleutta. This is :— 
THE MapaGascaR WEAVER (Foudia madagascariensis)* 
called the Mauritius Baya by Calcutta dealers; and the 
Scarlet Bishop by English ones at home. It is a well- 
known cage-bird, and has been turned loose in several 
places and allowed to go wild, as in Mauritius; its 
natural home being of course Madagascar. 
It is a little smaller and weaker in bill than the true 
Baya of India, but otherwise much resembles it in the 
sparrow-hke winter plumage, which is, however, darker. 
The hens, of course, always retain this dress, but the 
cock in spring becomes of a splendid scarlet almost all 
over, but the wings and tail are of a streaky brown, and 
there is a black stripe along each side of the face. / 
This brilliant little bird makes a fine addition to an 
