ioo Favourite Foreign Birds. 



and belly. The rump and tail are bright red, and 

 the feathers of the vent and the under-tail coverts 

 dusky red ; the bill is dark red, and the eye-streak 

 black ; the legs and, feet are grey. 



This species is more delicate than the preceding, 

 and is decidedly impatient of cold. It is a troublesome 

 little bird, too, in the aviary, from a habit it has of 

 plucking its companions; for which reason I am not 

 as well acquainted with its habits as with those of 

 the birds I have already described, nor has it ever 

 bred with me. Food : millet- and canary-seed. 



THE CRIMSON-EARED WAXBILL, commonly known 

 as THE CORDON BLEU, Estrelda phaenicotis, is de- 

 cidedly one of the nicest birds out. It had at one 

 time the reputation of being very delicate, and for a 

 long time I entertained the same opinion ; but further 

 experience with it convinced me at last that this was 

 quite a mistake, and that the Cordon Bleu was not 

 less tender than its congeners. 



It is an excessively pretty little creature, the same 

 size as those previously noticed (except the St. Helena), 

 and may thus be described : bill, red ; face, breast, 

 sides, tail, light blue ; top of head, neck, back, and 

 wings, ash-grey ; ear-coverts, crimson ; legs and feet, 

 pale flesh-colour. 



The female resembles her mate, but wants the 

 crimson ear-patch, and is very pretty and gentle; she 

 breeds quite freely in the aviary, and if she cannot 

 find a mate of her own species, will take up with any 

 of the preceding. The young on emerging from the 

 nest resemble their mother, but have black bills. 



Food, &c., as for the preceding species. 



