The Waxbill Family. 103 



of their congeners, but the eggs are the smallest I 

 ever saw, with the exception of some almost micro- 

 scopical specimens laid by humming-birds. 



In my aviary these very charming little creatures 

 have frequently built nests and laid eggs ; but, owing 

 to one mischance or another, never succeeded in pro- 

 ducing any young. Other amateurs, however, have 

 been more fortunate. Dr. Russ relates an instance 

 in which a pair of these birds brought up no less than 

 fifty-four young ones in one year out of 12 1 eggs 

 laid by the same hen. 



THE RED AFRICAN WAXBILL, also known as THE 

 FIRE FlNCH, Estrelda* minima^ is about the same 

 size as the preceding species. The head, neck, 

 breast, and rump are vivid scarlet ; the back and 

 wings reddish-brown ; the vent olivaceous-brown, and 

 the lower two-thirds of the tail dark brown ; the bill 

 is red, and the legs and feet are bright flesh-colour. 

 The female is greyish-brown, with a subtint of red 

 where that colour predominates in the male ; her beak is 

 a paler red than his, but her legs and feet rather darker. 



This tiny bird will breed freely in confinement if 

 kept comfortably warm, but will not do so if the 

 temperature of the place where he is kept falls 

 much below yodeg. Fahr., while Sodeg. or godeg. will 

 also suit him very well. He would be quite at home 

 in a hot-house, where he would keep the plants clear 

 of insects, and do no harm himself ; while the 

 small amount of dirt he and his partner would make 

 could readily be got rid of by the syringe. 



Food and treatment (except warmth), the same as 

 for the other Waxbills. 



