6 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



ated and affectionate, not to say natural, disposition. 



Now that it is so easy to get ants' eggs (cocoons) 

 of good quality, there should be a better chance of 

 successfully breeding the Blue Robin in confinement, 

 and in fact I have heard of young ones having been 

 fully reared in the Western Aviary of the London 

 Zoological Society. I fancy it would be only in some 

 enclosure of the kind that complete success could be 

 hoped for, namely, one of considerable extent, well 

 grassed and planted with a variety of shrubs, where 

 the birds would have plenty of space to exercise their 

 legs and wings and be able to find at least some 

 insects for themselves. 



I have never met with an instance of their having 

 nested in a cage, or even heard of their having done 

 so, nor can I fancy that they would. 



The Blue Robin is a larger bird than his European 

 namesake; his upper parts are sky-blue, and his lower 

 ruddy brown, except the tail coverts, which are white. 

 The female is altogether duller in colour and of smaller 

 size than her mate. The food of these birds in a state 

 of nature consists entirely of insects, and although in 

 confinement they will swallow some seed, it does not 

 agree with them ; unless they can have a fair proportion 

 of animal food they will not long survive. 



The male is a charming songster, but his best notes 

 are not to be compared with those of our English Red- 

 breast, than which the Blue Robin is much more sociable 



