6 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



Tanagers, in order to show off their marvellous beauty to perfection, 

 should measure at least two feet in width, eighteen to twenty inches 

 in height, and about the same in depth from front to back. If an 

 attempt should ever be made to breed these birds, the cage would have 

 to be quite a foot larger in all dimensions, and a furze-bush, or some 

 similar dense shrubby plant should be fixed against the back wall. It 

 is, however, doubtful whether, without a high temperature, success in 

 breeding could be obtained. In public Zoological Gardens I have seen 

 the Superb Tanager kept in cages so small that the poor bird not only 

 had but little room for exercise, but was quite unable to throw any life 

 or action into its movements : a stuffed specimen would have been 

 almost equally interesting. 



Dr. Russ does not encourage amateurs to keep the Superb Tanager 

 and its allies. He says : " With this species a little related group of 

 Tanagers commences, which are remarkable for their extremely splendid 

 and manifold colouring, and therefore enjoy considerable popularity, 

 whilst several are not considered very rare in the trade. But unhappily 

 there is a very dark side to the picture. They eat fruit by preference, 

 frequently despise even an addition of ants' cocoons, mealworms, egg, 

 bread, and boiled rice ; make an incredible mess, are difficult to keep 

 clean ; are delicate above everything, become ill through the most 

 insignificant unfavourable influences, and die early as a rule, even under 

 the most solicitous care." A little further on he adds : " Very beautiful 

 but too tranquil, almost idiotic, only eats incessantly." 



In his Fremdldndischen Stubenvogel, Dr. Russ gives almost exactly 

 the same account, to which he adds but little information ; he says : 

 " In its disposition, the extremely variegated little bird unfortunately 

 does not respond to this beautiful external natural dowry ; it shows 

 itself to be dull and listless, almost dull-witted, and its most prominent 

 characteristic is that of a feeder. From early morning until evening 

 it sits at the troi:gh and gobbles up astounding quantities of fruit, 

 sweet rice, and all kinds of other soft food, and makes a corresponding 

 amount of dirt, so that the keeper of such a bird has continuously to 

 engage in a gigantic struggle with the preparation of food on the one 

 hand and the uncleanliness on the other hand. Perhaps, however, the 

 cause of such unlovable traits has its foundation only in bad manage- 

 ment, which these birds have to put up with from the moment of their 

 capture and during their entire transportation ; and in such case they 

 would then, as soon as they had completely recovered, immediately 

 become more moderate and cleanly. A regard for their .magnificent 

 colouring would be a sufficient recompense for attempting experiments 



