96 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



Unfortunately, I have no facilities at present, for keeping birds loose 

 in rooms or out-door aviaries, and there are but few birds which will 

 breed in cages."* 



In Russ' Fremdliindischen Stubenvogel, I was pleased to find the 

 following statement confirmatory of my view of the affinities of this 

 species: "In its entire conduct it has, as already mentioned in the 

 introduction, an exceedingly close resemblance to the Astrilds: the 

 building of the overarched nest, as well as the fact that the first pair 

 in my bird-room laid pure white eggs, had already led me to the 

 conclusion that it is an intermediate link, probably a representative of 

 the Ornamental Finches in America. Closer observation, however, 

 revealed the mistaken character of this view, especially as it has been 

 seen in the foregoing descriptions, that a considerable number of other 

 allied Finches, especially in their first broods, also lay white eggs, as 

 in general the eggs of all these birds are extraordinarily unlike in the 

 bird-room and in freedom." 



I quite concur with Dr. Russ in the opinion that the absence of 

 marking, and even colour, from the first clutch of eggs is of no 

 importance as proving its affinity to the Waxbills; but another fact, 

 which he mentions later that both male and female sit together on 

 the eggs, certainly favours the view that this species is allied to 

 the Ornamental Finches. The first eggs laid by Linnets and other 

 European Finches, when wild, are often unspotted and paler than those 

 produced later; indeed, I have found eggs both of Linnets, Green- 

 finches, and Bullfinches nearly white, and an entire clutch of eggs of 

 the Yellow-Hammer pure white and unspotted: but it would be a 

 very strange thing to discover both sexes of a truly Fringilline bird 

 associated in the act of incubation ; whereas, this is of common 

 occurrence among the small Ploceine Finches. 



Illustrations from skins in the Natural History Museum and from 

 sketches made at the Crystal Palace Bird-show. 



* Since sending me the above, Dr. Simpson has considerably increased his accommodation A.G.B. 



