THE SAFFRON FINCH. 25 



disturb many sitting birds and scare them from their nests. Also in 

 addition they proved themselves very malicious towards their smaller 

 associates, since they first seized a Tiger Finch (Amaduvade) by the 

 tail, and left him sprawling ; then dragged up a little Magpie* 

 (Sflcrweaks) by the wing out of its nest, or fell upon another unsuspecting 

 little Ornamental Finch, sunning itself at the window, with grievous 

 blows of the beak. These provocations may have given great pleasure 

 to the Brazilians, but to the tiny victims they were in every respect less 

 of a joke, and I was obliged to put an end to the matter in this way, that 

 I took away the peace-disturbers and shut them up in a dwelling-room 

 with a pair of Red Cardinals. Yet even these birds, though altogether 

 very contentious and nearly double as large, which I, moreover, had 

 banished from the bird-room on account of their unsuitability, were 

 not rarely attacked at the food-basket by the male, and were obliged 

 to leave the field clear to his impetuosity." 



Knowing already, from experience, the tendency of this species to 

 bully its weaker associates, I made up my mind when rny bird-room 

 aviaries were constructed to keep Saffron Finches only with birds well 

 able to protect themselves, the only apparent exceptions which I have 

 made to this rule are represented by the introduction of a Grey Singing 

 Finch, a pair of Green Singing Finches, and about half-a-dozen 

 Canaries into the same aviary. However, these they have never in- 

 terfered with, nor have they quarrelled with any bird excepting a 

 Nonpareil, who probably deserved the punishment which they inflicted 

 on him. 



In 1894, and the two following years, I bred many Saffron Finches, 

 both in cage and aviary, without the least trouble ; those in the flight- 

 cage being bred by the pair mentioned on page 20 ; but towards the 

 end of 1896 the hen of this pair concluded that she had brought up 

 enough families, and resisted fiercely every attempt of the male 

 bird to approach her. At length he lost his temper, and knocking 

 her down, pecked at her eyes and tore her scalp until she was 

 covered with blood : I then separated them, but the unfortunate victim 

 was quite blind for a fortnight, and died at the end of a month. Since 

 then I have been content to breed this pretty little savage in one of 

 my bird- room aviaries, where (however), many of the nestlings fall 

 victims to Manyar Weavers. 



Illustrations from live specimens and skins in the author's 

 collection. 



Probably with special reference to the Pied Mannikiii : though Russ tells us that the species 

 of Spenncstes (in its wider signification) are so called by dealers in Germany. 



