THE AUSTRALIAN FIRE-FINCH. 141 



and Waxbills, and their ferocity was amazing. The cock would erect 

 the feathers of his head and body, spread out his tail like a fan, and 

 dart about after an unfortunate Avadavat : having secured his victim 

 he would hold it down on the ground and worry it like a dog. If I 

 had not removed them I think they would have killed every bird in 

 the cage.* 



" Unlike other small Waxbills and Finches, the male and female 

 never display any affection for each other. Bach spring, they have 

 showed signs of wanting to breed, and at these times the cock sings 

 a great deal to the hen, and drives her about the cage. They never 

 roost together. 



" The appearance of these birds you are of course familiar with : 

 there is, however, one point which has not I think been previously 

 noticed and this is, that when first imported the brown of the head 

 and shoulders of the male bird has a distinct tinge of a bronze-green 

 colour, which disappears after moulting. My Crimson Finches have 

 never bred." 



In his Frond Idndischen Stubenvogel, Dr. Russ says that: "This 

 bird of the sun would have seemed to us a truly admirable being, if 

 its beauty had been at the same time accompanied by a glorious song. 

 As a matter of fact, however, he only gives utterance to a humming, 

 more comical than euphonious, as an accompaniment to which he 

 moves himself, as it were, sedately from one side to the other, holding 

 his head high, moving the beak with the greatest zeal, his long 

 tapering tail spread out like a fan, and then suddenly terminates this 

 love dance with a loud flute-like cry." This is little more than a 

 repetition in slightly different words of what he says in his " Handbuch." 



Illustration from skin in the Natural History Museum. 



* Mr. Abrahams gives them the same character. A.G B. 







