104 Favourite Foreign Birds. 



THE VIOLET-EARED WAXBILL, Estrelda granatica, 

 is as rare in this country as the last species is common. 

 It is a native of the same parts of Africa namely 

 West and Central but is much hardier than the Red 

 Waxbill. The general colour is a rich, soft brown, 

 a narrow rim of very bright blue encircles the beak, 

 and another the root of the tail, the cheeks are marked 

 by a large patch of brilliant violet, and the beak is 

 coral-red. 



The female is generally duller in appearance than 

 her mate, and her cheeks show less of the distinctive 

 violet colouring than his. 



Both sexes, but especially the male, sing very 

 sweetly. So far, I have not heard of their breeding 

 in confinement. 



Food : millet- and a little canary-seed, ants* eggs, 

 crumbled sponge-cake, and a few small mealworms 

 daily. 



THE SYDNEY or AUSTRALIAN WAXBILL, Estrelda 

 temporalis, is a common bird in its native land, but 

 is nevertheless not of such frequent occurrence here 

 as many of its congeners, in consequence of its being 

 generally thought delicate : I have not found it so 

 at least, not more delicate than the other Waxbills ; 

 and Dr. Russ has succeeded more than once in getting 

 them to breed in his aviary. 



The top of the head, back of the neck, back, and 

 wings are olive-green ; the throat and face greenish- 

 blue ; the breast and belly yellowish-green ; the tail 

 very dark green ; the beak is bright red, and a broad 

 streak of the same colour passes from it, surrounding 

 the eye, to the back of the head: the rump and 



