THE COMMON AFRICAN WAXBILL. 133 



and the male accompanies its dancing love- movements with loud 

 chirruping flute-like cries." 



In his Fremdldndischen Stubenvbgel Dr. Russ observes : " As with 

 many animals and particularly the birds, the tail is also in a special 

 manner in the case of the smallest Ornamental Finches the signal or 

 indicator, which reveals their feelings. This shows itself to the observer 

 in a very interesting fashion. In the cool of the morning, the pair 

 cowers in the scrub, closely pressed one against the other, and with 

 motionless tails; as soon as the sun shoots down warmer rays, and the 

 company of Little-beaks grows more lively, the tails are immediately 

 put into appropriate motion, and I might almost affirm that every 

 varying sentiment could be expressed by a different kind of whisk 

 with the tail. Now they fly to the food-basket, ' heioza ! ' * now the 

 tails merrily see-saw sharply up and down. Then they hasten to the 

 drinking-bowl, from which a Weaver-bird drives them back, and, again, 

 a different feeling is expressed by the nervous downward swing of the 

 tail. After they have drunk they flutter about in the bush, restlessly 

 darting here and there and searching. Now they seem to have dis- 

 covered what they sought ; it is a nest-basket, hanging in a large 

 wire-cage, and whilst the male stands on the edge of the basket, and 

 the female in the entrance to the cage how differently once again 

 the tails jerk, the graceful movements go horizontally from right to 

 left, and momentarily, both birds are engaged in the most searching 

 investigation and deliberation, as to whether the nest-basket is suitable 

 for the purpose and fulfils all its pretentions. At last the choice is 

 fixed, and the male now begins, with methodical haste, to drag up 

 building materials for the construction of the nest, whilst the female 

 at first sits on one side apparently unconcerned, but presently slips 

 into the quickly rounded nest and completes the interior of the outer 

 structure. Then at noon, as soon as the two Grey Astrilds, like the 

 majority of other Ornamental Finches, have had their rest, closely 

 huddled together, the male suddenly flies upwards, raises his head 

 high and saucily, and now begins a comical jumping up and down." 

 Dr. Russ then proceeds to describe the courtship in much the same 

 amusing and interesting fashion, the escape of the female whilst the 

 male is engaged in his love songs, the pursuit and capture of the 

 bride. Indeed, Dr. Russ has the art of being not only instructive 

 but entertaining in his writings : the only difficulty to an English 

 translator is his occasional use of terms not to be found in the 



* Whether the English equivalent of this expression is "fire away. 1 " or "Go it!" I have 

 been unable to discover. A.G.B. 



