THE ST. HELENA WAXBILL. 135 



was also observed by Mr. Ayres during Mr. Jameson's recent expedition. 

 Mr. Anderson observes : 



" This pretty little species is common in the southern districts of 

 Damara Land, and in some parts of Great Namaqua Land, as well as 

 at Lake N'gami. It lives in flocks, and is generally found upon the 

 ground, where it seeks its food, which consists of seeds, insects, etc." 



" Mr. Monteiro found the bird very abundant in Angola, par- 

 ticularly to the south, where it is gregarious, and seen in flocks of 

 hundreds of individuals." 



We extract the following note of the author from the first edition 

 of the work : " They breed in communities, and it is said that several 

 inhabit the same nest, laying and sitting in it promiscuously, and 

 sometimes three or four together. The nest is a large structure, 

 composed of straw, grasses, feathers, wool, paper, rags, etc. It is often 

 as large as a stable bucket, round, and with an entrance in the side. 

 The interior is a mass of feathers ; and the eggs, from eight to fourteen 

 in number, are pure white, oval and about 7'" long, by 4'" broad. 



" These birds live well in confinement, and add much to the 

 appearance of an aviary, by their sprightliness, and beauty of their 

 plumage, when many are together. It is no uncommon thing to see 

 a dozen or more on one perch, sitting close up to each other for 

 company's sake. I have four, which have separated themselves into 

 two pairs, though agreeing all well together. The birds of each pair 

 are always together, cleaning and caressing each other. When I put 

 in the bathing vessels, they all crowd into them in defiance of all the 

 bigger and stronger birds ; and it is no unusual thing to see two 

 canaries, or one canary, the ' King of the Roodebecs,' and three or four 

 ' Roodebecs,' all in one vessel at once, splashing, ducking, and jostling 

 one another in narrow bounds, to which their cage restricts them." 



Mr. Atmore writes, December rath, 1887: "You know what a 

 funny wisp of a nest it makes, and how carefully concealed ; but how 

 such small birds carry such large bents of grass is a puzzle. The 

 inside is very warm and comfortable, and what may be called the 

 frame-work of the nest is very nicely contrived, so that all the ear- 

 ends of the grasses are woven together to form the pipe where the 

 entrance is. The nest was in a thicket of brambles and fern, about 

 six inches from the ground. Even after the bird flew out, it required 

 a good search before I could find it. There were twelve eggs in it 

 (whether more than one lays in a nest I cannot say, but only one flew 

 out), they were in all stages of incubation two not set, and four or 

 five had young birds, so large I could not blow them." 



