2 1 8 Bird-keeping. 



lower part of the breast and body are of a rich velvet- 

 like black ; the crown of the head, throat, neck, and 

 upper and lower tail-coverts are of a deep orange, 

 almost red ; the feathers on the neck are larger than 

 the others, and give the appearance of a raff; the 

 shoulders and back are of a darker, duller orange ; the 

 wings brown on the upper part, blackish-grey under- 

 neath ; the tail is dark brown, almost concealed by the 

 long and bright feathers of the tail-coverts ; the beak 

 black, the iris chestnut-brown, and the feet are dark 

 flesh-coloured. This full plumage is generally in per- 

 fection in the autumn ; at other times he resembles the 

 hen, a brown bird with feathers edged with light grey, 

 dark grey head, with a whitish or sulphur-coloured 

 stripe passing over the eyes. He gradually becomes 

 blacker than the female, and when he acquires the 

 orange-colour of the neck, and the body is still mottled, 

 before the full plumage comes, he is a very pretty bird. 

 A lady, who kept a Bishop Bird in a cage with Wax- 

 bills, Avadavats, and Spice Birds, told me that he was 

 a very amiable bird, and lived very amicably with his 

 companions, and proved his title to be called a "weaver" 

 by twisting little pieces of hay in and out of the meshes 

 of a small basket put into the cage. He had a very 

 peculiar song, and would straighten himself up, and, 

 with a great effort, squeeze out a sound like vibrating 

 wire, impossible to describe. These birds are common, 

 and do much mischief in the corn-fields throughout 



