266 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



nesting contrivances, and the most varied building materials neverthe- 

 less, I have only been able to rejoice in a single result. At length I 

 noticed that a female was continually flying round the nest of a pair 

 of little Red Astrilds, and now and again slipped into it. The Orna- 

 mental Finches did not permit themselves to be at all disturbed thereby, 

 and thus I hoped that they would rear foster-children, from the eggs 

 laid somewhere inside. But the female of the latter never proceeded 

 to egg-laying, whereas, the clutch was placed in the vicinity of the 

 door, and exposed to disturbances, respecting which the Ornamental 

 Finches certainly did not trouble themselves. After a long time, the 

 female Steel Finch dragged coarse bents into an already used, and very 

 dirty Zebra Finch nest, upon the compressed structure, and formed 

 upon the latter a semi-domed nest cavity. The laying of five eggs was 

 incubated by the female alone in twelve days, whilst the male defended 

 the nest jealously, and pursued all other birds, even very large ones, 

 with outcry and flapping of wings. 



The young above is fawn-brown, every feather bordered with pale 

 reddish ; over the head, along the vertex, and at the sides, run three 

 fawn-reddish stripes ; tail blackish-brown ; underside, breast, sides, 

 underside of wings, and tail, fawn-yellowish ; abdomen and vent pure 

 white. In the first year, the young males only partly change colour, 

 so that they appear dappled. The old strong bird, commonly remains 

 eight or nine months, indeed sometimes a year and a half, in ornamental 

 plumage, before he grows grey. Just as in the tract of Africa, from 

 which the Steel Finches have come', even in captivity, they commence 

 their change into the wedding dress from July to September." 



" In the heat of a room they endure admirably for many years, 

 and, indeed, they have frequently been wintered in an unheated enclosure. 

 Nevertheless, in most cases, especially in small aviaries, one soon wearies 

 of them, at least at those times when they lose their ornamental 

 clothing, and become insignificantly grey. Of a genuine song we can 

 say nothing." 



As for a true bird-lover becoming tired of this, or any other species, 

 when out of colour, I cannot but think Dr. Russ mistaken; a gardener 

 might as well weary of his plants when not in flower, or a husband of 

 his wife when not attired to receive company. As for the song, it is 

 not melodious, but it has the merit of unwearied energy, helping to 

 swell the general concert ; just as a big drum, or the castanets, though 

 a mere noise when heard alone, serve to emphasize certain passages. 



Illustration of the male, from two specimens living in the author's 

 aviaries, in 1894, but which both died before the end of that year. 



