98 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



upper tail-coverts rose-coloured ; the primary coverts 

 minutely tipped with white ; under parts mostly rosy, 

 tout the cheeks, throat, and flanks more or less ashy- 

 brownish; beak coral red, feet orange, iris brown. The 

 female as similar, but duller throughout. In the winter 

 plumage both sexes are altogether more sandy and less 

 rosy in tint, and the beak is paler. Habitat, from the 

 south of the Mediterranean eastwards through Persia 

 and Baluchistan, into Western India. 



According to Von Heuglin, the breeding season of this 

 little bird commences even as early as March, but cer- 

 tainly in April oir the beginning of May. The nest is 

 usually placed in a crevice or cranny in rock or wall, and, 

 according to Mr. Meade-Waldo, is slightly constructed 

 of dry weeds and lined with goat's or camel's hadr. The 

 eggs, five or six in number, are pale blue, lightly spotted 

 with dark purple. Von Heuglin describes the young a,s 

 " greyish earth-brown, below clearer." He also says 

 that in June they unite with the adult birds into little 

 companies, which wander about in desultory fashion 

 on fallows, roads, villages, stone bridges, cliffs, ruins, 

 rocky islands, and on the margin of the desert, feeddng 

 chiefly on seeds of grasses. The call-note is described 

 as a wooden " ter-ter " by Von Heuglin, and a metallic 

 " twang-twang" by Meade-Waldo, and the song insigni- 

 ficant, often chattering, or rather chirping, but always 

 intermingled with sounds which resemble those produced 

 by a child's toy trumpet. 



J. L. S. Whitaker, in his " Birds of Tunisia," Vol. I. , 

 p. 221, says : " Eminently a rock-frequenting bird, the 

 Desert Bullfinch is, as a rule, only to be found in hilly, 

 stony ddstricts, and never apparently in the true sandy 

 desert. Its plumage, like that of many of the Larks 

 and other birds, harmonises admirably in colour with 

 the warm reddish tints of the southern rocks and soil, 

 and affords a good example of Nature's protective colour- 

 ing. The exquisite rose hue of thds little bird's plumage, 

 however, is unfortunately, somewhat evanescent, and 

 fades considerably after death. 



" During the .greater part of the year E. githaginea is 

 to be found in small parties, but during the breeding 

 season single pairs are more often met with. It is by 

 no means a shy bird, and will often allow one to 

 approach within a few yards of it before taking to 

 .flight. Its food consists chiefly of the seeds of wild 

 plants, but also to a certain extent of insects and 

 grubs. In captivity the species thrives well, and 

 examples of it may occasionally be seen in aviaries." 



" The nest of this species is usually placed under a 

 tussock of grass or other small plant on a hill-side, 

 and is neatly built of fine bents, lined with a little hair 

 or wool. The eggs, usually four or five in number 

 though I have found as many as six are elongate in 

 shape and of a delicate sea green colour, slightly 

 spotted and streaked at the larger end with dark lake 

 and reddish-brown. Average measurements, 20 by 

 14 mm." 



Mr. Meade-Waldo in 1897 bred three nests of six 

 and one of four from a single pair, the male of which 

 was about ten years of age. He says that the young 

 are fed entirely on seed disgorged from the crop, no 

 soft food Being touched. Canary, spray millet, and 

 shepherd's purse are the favourite food of the species. 



I have seen a good many specimens of this species, 

 "both at bird shows and in private aviaries, but I never 

 possessed it myself. 



ROCK-SPARROW (Petronia pcfrnnin}. 



Above sandy brown, with darker streaks and spots ; 

 back and wings dark brown with pale buff margins 

 to the feathers ; tail dark brown, the feathers increas- 

 ingly tipped with white on the inner webs from the 



central feathers outwards, below pale buff indistinctly 

 streaked with brown, more strongly on the flanks; 

 a yellow patch on the throat ; bill brown, paler below ; 

 feet pale brown ; irides brown. 



The female is similar, but with less defined yellow 

 patch on the throat. Habitat, Europe southward to 

 N. Africa, Madeira, and the Canary Islands ; eastward 

 to Central Asia, Eastern Siberia, and North China. 



J. I. S. Whitaker ("Birds of Tunisia,.' Vol. 1, pp. 

 211, 212) says: "As the name would imply, P. 

 petronia is a rock-loving bird, being generally found, 

 either in small parties or in pairs, on hill-sides or in 

 the vicinity of rocky ground. Occasionally, however, 

 it is to be found on cultivated land, consorting with 

 Skylarks, and I once shot one oiit of a flock of Larks 

 in the middle of a cornfield. The food of the Rock- 

 Sparrow consists chiefly of grain and various kinds 

 of seeds, but it is varied to a considerable extent by an 

 insect diet. The note of this bird is a harsh and 

 monotonous chirp. 



" The Rock-Sparrow breeds as a rule in holes in cliffs 

 or old walls, and the nest is composed of straw or dry 

 grasses, with a little wool, plentifully lined with 

 feathers and hair. The eggs, four or five in number, 

 greatly resemble those of the common House-Sparrow." 



Dr. Russ mentions three or four European dealers 

 who have at various times offered this species for sale, 

 but he says it is rarely received, but several avicul- 

 turists state that it is a noteworthy songster. With 

 captive birds one is far more likely to Hear the true 

 song than the field naturalist ; therefore it is quite 

 likely that Mr. Whitaker never was fortunate enough 

 to come across a singing male, and only heard the 

 chattering and chirping in which Sparrows far more 

 frequently indulge. 

 YELLOW- THROATED RoCK-Sp ARROW (Petronia Aavicollis). 



Above ashy-brown ; lesser wing-coverts bright chest- 

 nut; median coverts tipped with white, forming a 

 bar ; greater coverts narrowly tipped with whitish, 

 forming a second narrower bar ; flights and tail feathers 

 dark brown with pale brown edges ; outer tail-feathers 

 with tips of inner web fringed with whitish ; an ill- 

 defined pale eyebrow -streak ; lores and eyelids dusky, 

 as also the upper portion of the ear-coverts ; chin and 

 fore-throat whitish followed by a yellow spot on the 

 hinder throat ; remainder of und-erparts pale greyish 

 brown, becoming white on vent and under tail-coverts ; 

 beak black ; feet ashy-brown ; irides brown. Female 

 with the chestnut of lesser coverts and the yellow 

 throat-spot paler than in the male. Habitat, Persia 

 and Baluchistan to Sind and the plains of India, ascend- 

 ing the Himalayas west of the Beas up to 4.000 to 

 5,000 feet. 



Jerdon ("Birds of India," Vol. II., pp. 368, 369) 

 says: "It frequents thin forest jungle; also groves 

 of trees, avenues, and gardens, in the better wooded 

 parts of the country. It lives in small parties, occa- 

 sionally, during the cold weather, congregating in very 

 large flocks ; feeds on various seeds, grains, and flower- 

 buds, and has much the same manners and habits as 

 the common House-Sparrow. It has also a very similar 

 note. It breeds in holes in trees, and in some parts 

 of the country in the roofs of houses, in the hollow 

 bamboos of the roof, and, occasionally, in pots hung 

 out for the purpose. The eggs are three or four, 

 greenish white, much streaked and blotched with 

 purplish-brown." 



Hume ("Nests and Eggs," 2nd ed.. Vol. II., pp. 

 157-159) says: "I have taken scores of nests of this 

 species ; all were, without exception, placed in holes 

 in trees. Old mango-trees, for instance, are very often 



