THE BENGALEE. . 215 



began to drop off one by one, until I only had a pair of the dark, and 

 a cock of the light form living. 



From Wiener's and Russ' statements, one would have expected 

 unusual productiveness from these birds, and the want of it puzzled 

 me considerably ; eventually, however, I concluded that, as Bengalees 

 had for many generations been bred in cages, it was hardly fair to 

 turn them in with a number of rough wild birds, which, doubtless, 

 often disturbed them during incubation. I, therefore, tried my pair in 

 a large breeding-cage, where they built and laid eggs from time to 

 time, but without hatching them. I next purchased from Mr. Abrahams 

 a pair of the white variety, with the result that about three days later 

 I found the cock bird dead. I then took my net and entered the 

 bird-room to catch my sole remaining cock of the fawn and white 

 variety. I could not help smiling, as I thought of Wiener's " almost 

 unable to fly"; for so quick was that bird in avoiding me, that I was 

 obliged to call my son in to catch it, whilst I stood with a long cane 

 at the other end of the aviary and repeatedly drove it towards him. 

 Even thus, it took about twenty minutes to capture it. I now paired 

 this bird with the white hen, which died egg-bound on February 26th, 

 1894. After the death of my white hen, I transferred my last remaining 

 pair of dark pies to the breeding-cage ; the hen laid numerous eggs, 

 and on October 2ist, 1894, one young bird left the nest; it was reared 

 chiefly on millet-seed ; another was reared towards the end of the year. 



In 1886, a pair of the white variety, in a flight-cage, reared two 

 young, but only one at a time ; the first of these died when about 

 two months old. In another cage a pair of the fawn and white variety 

 associated with a Sharp-tailed Finch, the cock Bengalee paired with 

 the latter, which laid one egg ; this was hatched and reared by the 

 Bengalees, she then went to nest and laid four or five eggs ; three 

 young were hatched and reared ; lastly, towards winter, a fifth left the 

 nest. Excepting for a few extra white feathers, these cross-breeds 

 resembled their mother. 



Bengalees are particularly fond of spray millet and grass-seed ; 

 and, when breeding, they will consume a quantity of Abrahams' food, 

 sponge-cake, or any sweet cake or biscuit ; they are also delighted with 

 seedling lettuce and rape. 



Illustrations from living examples and skins in the author's 

 collection. 



