THE MELODIOUS FINCH. 95 



sought for cage-birds ; notwithstanding its having been frequently bred 

 and its rapid sale * * ; it is imported by all large dealers, though only 

 in single or few pairs. It has no song, in spite of being called 

 Chanteur dc Cuba ; even in the season of love only a soft piping and 

 whispering. Disposition showing great likeness to that of the Astrilds. 

 Not spiteful, but in the immediate vicinity of the nest very snappish 

 towards larger birds. Nest in a thick tangle, a purse with a long entrance 

 tube running obliquely to below it, only rarely an open cup, of agave and 

 cocoa-fibre, strips of bast, wool and hair artistically felted . together ; 

 completed in six to eight days. Laying four eggs, bluish or greenish 

 white, with fine dark speckling. Nest ling down whitish grey. Wax- 

 glands yellowish white. Young Plumage brownish-olive green; collar 

 pale yellow, in the male already distinct; face and breast blackish 

 brown ; underside dusty grey ; little beak dusty brown. Up to the 

 first moult in dull plumage, then the blackish mark shows itself, 

 continually getting darker, moreover, the colouring of the breast, and 

 simultaneously the previously narrow yellow stripe, becomes gradually 

 broader. The production of a brood takes four weeks. Each pair 

 yearly produces from three to as much as seven broods. The young 

 must be removed as soon as the old birds begin to nest again. I 

 first reared the Cuba Finch, and equally in cage and bird-room with 

 good results. Enduring, it can be kept perfectly well through the 

 winter in an unheated place." 



The entrance tube to the nest which Dr. Russ describes is a 

 frequent characteristic of the nests of Waxbills. 



Dr. C. S. Simpson sent me the following note respecting his 

 pair of this pretty little Finch : " The Cuba Finch is, to my mind, 

 the most attractive of all the small Finches. My pair have had a 

 somewhat uneventful life so far : they are never dull or ailing, and do 

 not seem at all susceptible to cold. They hardly deserve the name of 

 'Melodious Finch' I think: the cock has a rather pretty note, but it 

 hardly amounts to a song. They are extremely lively birds, always 

 on the move, and require a large cage: their greatest charm to me is 

 their cheery bright disposition. The harmonious combination of 

 golden yellow, black and olive-green, pleases me far more than the 

 more vivid contrasts of the Gouldian and Parrot Finches. They are 

 very fond of bathing, and invariably keep themselves in the most 

 faultless condition: the cock and hen display the greatest affection 

 towards one another. They live principally on spray millet and 

 canary seed, with a little white millet. I used to give them small 

 mealworms occasionally, but I am sure they are better without them. 



