CHAPTER VIII. 



I HIS bird is the counterpart of the last as regards 



size and figure, but differs from it considerably in 



the matter of colour, for its head and neck instead of 



being velvety black are silvery grey, which in old 



birds changes to pure white. 



In its movements and habits, too, the White-headed 

 Nun, or Mannikin, as it is also frequently called, 

 exactly resembles the Black- headed Finch. It is a 

 native of the same country as the latter, and might, 

 indeed, be justly taken for a local variety of it, and 

 not for a separate species. 



That is a point, however, that can only be indubitably 

 established by cross-pairing the two birds and seeing 

 whether the resulting offspring would be fruitful or 

 otherwise; but like their Black-headed relatives, none 

 of the Maja Finches I ever possessed have shown the 

 slightest inclination to breed, but pursued the even 

 tenour of their way to the end, eating, drinking, bath- 



