CHAPTER V. 



Red-bellied or !. Helena 



His is a very .charming little creature, about the 

 * same size as the Lesser Whitethroat, but of even 

 slimmer build than the latter. It is wonderfully 

 active in its movements and is perpetually jerking its 

 rather long tail up and down and to right and left in 

 the most vivacious and comical manner, while the tips 

 of its wings are rapidly flapped in close accompaniment. 



Of a brownish colour generally, the plumage is plenti- 

 fully besprinkled with narrow undulations of a darker 

 shade; the breast is delicate rosy-red, and this tint is 

 continued to the vent, but the tail and flight feathers 

 are black. A line of brilliant red passes across the 

 face from the eye on either side reaching to the bill 

 and forms a conspicuous mark that is all but differentia- 

 tive of the species. 



Very gregarious in its habits, the St. Helena Waxbill, 

 which, by the bye, was originally derived from the 

 Eastern parts of Africa, has been quite naturalized 



