THR ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBIU,. 105 



In one upper corner of a spacious breeding-cage, open only in 

 front, hang up a box half filled with hay and turn your African Wax- 

 bills into this ; on warm nights you will see these little Finches 

 crowded together on the top of the box, but in cold weather they will 

 crouch down inside upon the hay, and so keep comfortably warm : you 

 will find that, by adopting this plan, you can keep all the more 

 delicate Waxbills in health throughout the winter, and at a moderate 

 temperature. 



Of course, in an ordinary dwelling-room, a good temperature can 

 usually be ensured ; but few careful housewives like to have large cages 

 full of birds in their rooms, because, even with the greatest precautions, 

 it is next to impossible to prevent Finches from flinging seed and 

 husks upon the carpet ; and it is quite impossible, when this happens, 

 to prevent an invasion of mice from the outside world. Personally, I 

 should not object to having Finches in every room of my house, even 

 though it should involve perpetual warfare against mice : but it must 

 be admitted, that it is better for pets of all kinds to be kept to their 

 own rightful domains. 



Dr. Russ thus speaks of this Waxbill : " Always smooth and 

 clean in plumage, sprightly and active, exceedingly docile and peace- 

 able, singularly shy and nervous ; so that whenever anything unusual 

 appears its shrill cry of warning is uttered ; although saucy, and in 

 particular very inquisitive." 



" In my bird-room, three pairs of Orange-cheeks went to nest and 

 built sociably, either like the Grey Astrilds in the little basket nest of 

 a high hanging open structure, or freely in a thick bush, with thin 

 flexible fibrous materials, as well as fresh asparagus sprays, an orna- 

 mental spherical nest, with a quite narrow circular entrance hole, 

 without" tubular inlet. Laying three to seven round white eggs. 

 Both sexes always sit simultaneously, keep always close together most 

 affectionately, never separate, whisk together out of the nest at everv 

 scare, on which account the brood conies to grief nearly every time. 

 Nestling-down yellowish grey, with the swollen rims of the beak pure 

 white. Young plumage above clear ash-grey, below brighter, with a 

 brownish ground-tint ; tail and wing-feathers darker, undecided reddish 

 grey ; croup suffused with reddish yellow ; cheeks already delicate clear 

 yellow ; beak and feet black. The change of colour commences in the 

 third week, by the more defined development of the coloured characters ; 

 in the fifth week even the little beak has become red. 



" After this Astrild had first nested in my bird-room, it also did 

 so in several others ; nevertheless, its production is one of the most 



