THE FINCHES. IT 



anyone who feels compunction at caging wild birds can> 

 'yet secure considerable variety in an aviary without 

 offending his conscience in this matter. 



Finches are not much in evidence as garden-birds in 

 India, except the House-Sparrow (Passer domesticus) who- 

 ought to be banished as much as possible by every bird- 

 lover, as he bullies and drives away nicer birds ; I have 

 seen him do this even with the little Honeysuckers. 



Many species, however, are sold for aviaries in Cal- 

 cutta, and elsewhere so many, that I am not able to deal 

 with them all, and merely give a selection of species which 

 seemed particularly suitable for notice in this work. 



To commence with the Eastern or Weaver-Finches, 

 which always reside in warm climates. One of the most 

 familiar in the East is 



THE WEAVER-BIRD, called Baya by the natives. The 

 older writers confused two species under this title, and 

 not unnaturally, since where they meet, they appear to 

 inter-breed, and thus become confused themselves. The 

 true Baya (Ploceus bay a) inhabits most of India and 

 Ceylon ; the female, and the male in winter, much resem- 

 ble hen Sparrows, being light brown with dark streaks ; 

 they are, however, smaller than a Sparrow, with stronger 

 bills and feet and shorter wings and tail. Moreover, 

 their plumage is more clearly marked and yellower in 

 tone. In the spring the male assumes a very handsome 

 breeding-plumage ; his head and breast become a brilli- 

 ant yellow, with the exception of the throat, which is 

 dull black ; the back is also washed with yellow, and he 

 looks a very showy little bird altogether. His bill r 



