THE BRONZE MANNIKIN. 261, 



same place and whilst singing only moves to the right and left. The 

 circumstance that he may be made at home in the smallest cage, 

 according to Schlegel even on the writing-desk or work-table, con- 

 tributes to the favour shown to the bird. When our first brood was 

 fledged, I happened to be in Paris, in order to see the International 

 Exhibition of the year 1867, and my wife carefully noted down the 

 whole proceeding. The preparation for nesting was arranged above 

 the stove, in the dwelling- room, and the birds devoted to love only, 

 obtained air through a gauze window. The adroitness with which the 

 old birds attended to every single young one, so that it might not 

 have an accident in its first flight, seemed especially admirable. 

 When, after the completion of the brood, the nest was examined, it 

 caused no little astonishment. My wife had been quite unable to 

 explain where, for some time past, many varieties of trifles in daily 

 use, which had mysteriously disappeared, could have got to. Now all 

 these things came simultaneously to view, such as threaded sewing- 

 needles, by the side of complete little skeins, little scraps of ribbon, 

 trimming, and anything else appertaining to that class of trifles. The 

 little rogues had secretly, with hurry and eagerness, dragged all into 

 their nest, as soon as nobody was present in the room. However, in 

 spite of all the needles, the young rejoiced in a most excellent 

 development. According to my experience, which was subsequently 

 confirmed by that of other breeders, the little Magpies bred here, nest 

 quite as productively as the wild ones. In both cases, there is now 

 and again a pair, which will not make the slightest attempt at 

 breeding. In the Appendix, I again refer to this brood. The 

 provision corresponds with that prepared for the smallest Astrilds ; 

 they also need ants' cocoons, egg- bread, &c., to bring up their young. 

 With careful attention they likewise exhibit remarkable fruitfulness. 

 Still, it must be observed, that several males associated together in 

 the bird-room, indeed fight one another vigorously at first, but after- 

 wards go to nest without disturbance. A male belonging to Dr. Rey 

 bred with two females with satisfactory results. Count York, of 

 Wartenburg, bred mules from the little Pie with the brown coloured 

 Japanese Mannikin, and Mr. Mockel, of Hamburg, bred them from the 

 little lustrous Pies." 



Since the publication of the first edition of this work I have had 

 a fair number of examples of this little bird, and find that the hens 

 are very liable to death through egg- bin ding : otherwise the Bronze 

 Mannikin is very hardy. 



Illustration from live specimen and skins in the author's collection. 



