Lists of Birds. 149 



condition, while a lady putting a small birdcage into 

 her carriage, and driving off with it for a round of 

 shopping, is not unlikely to find her bird conie to grief. 



This is the safest plan ; at the same time I do not 

 mean to say that birds cannot travel ; I have had 

 many from all parts of the country, and the first pair 

 I ever possessed, two pretty Canaries, travelled down 

 in a small wicker cage by railway, chaperoned by the 

 guard, from London. The distance was one hundred 

 and thirty miles, the last part of which was performed 

 in the carrier's cart. But to return to the bird list. 



4. The AVADAVATS are little brown and red spotted 

 birds, with reddish backs and spreading tails, white 

 feet, red beaks like sealing-wax, shrill, silvery, short 

 song, and peculiarly graceful movements. They may 

 be made very tame, and look exquisitely pretty in a 

 company of birds of their own stature. Wrens, for 

 instance, and little Silver Beaks, in a small enclosure, 

 where, if there is some evergreen, they will dart about 

 pluming themselves noisily, washing, and singing, 

 and making the gayest of pictures. The other birds 

 of the size suitable to live with the pets I mentioned, 

 are Australian, African, St. Helena, Orange, and the 

 exquisite Zebra Wax-bills ; all these are to be had at 

 from twelve to fifteen shillings a pair. In Messrs. 

 Green's list of prices, the African ones are two 

 shillings less than the others. The little Avadavats 

 are eight shillings, and so are the Silver Beaks. 



