PONDS, PADDOCKS, AND AVIARIES 49 



more charming cage-bird than this can be found ; but, 

 alas, it is not very long-lived, and is very susceptible 

 of cold and damp. 



"Another cage-bird worthy of notice from its rarity, 

 beauty, and pleasant song, is the so-called * Teydean ' 

 chaffinch. The natural habitat of this species is strictly 

 limited to a high zone of the Peak of Teneriffe ; it has 

 never been met with elsewhere. I may briefly describe 

 this bird as considerably larger than our common chaffinch, 

 and of a general fine grey colour. 



" I have recently lost another bird of great interest from 

 its rarity, and the locality from which it was forwarded 

 to me : I allude to the chestnut-winged grakle (*Amydrus 

 tristrami). This bird, the only one of its species that has 

 ever been seen alive in this country, is of a family allied 

 to the starlings and crows, and was procured from the 

 neighbourhood of the monastery of Mar-Saba, not far from 

 Bethlehem. The monks protect and encourage these birds, 

 which become quite tame, and nest in the caverns and 

 fissures of the cliffs in the gorge of the * Brook Kedron ' 

 and similar localities in Southern Palestine. Mar-Saba is 

 somewhat difficult of access, but is frequently visited by 

 tourists in the Holy Land, to whom the bird to which 

 I am referring is generally known as the golden-winged 

 blackbird. Canon Tristram tells us that the male has a 

 loud and melodious whistle ; but my bird was a female, 

 and almost silent. 



" Amongst my most beautiful cage-birds I must note 



4 



