Some Colony Birds. 279 
formidable instrument. It is wedge-shaped and broader at its base than it is 
long ; the head in consequence looks flat. The beak, being slaty-white, is 
very conspicuous. I know by experience that the bird can give a sharp nip 
with this vice-like weapon, and it hangs on with all the tenacity of a bull-dog. 
The hen bird is a uniform brown as are also the young until the first moult. 
The twa-twa never shows any signs of strong affection ; he is too much of a 
reserved, courtly gentleman for that ; but he has his own way of making known 
his sense of gratitude for kindness. He will spread his tail fan-wise and jerk it 
from side to side ; or he will flit joyously from perch to perch ; or he will pour 
forth his song. His song is masculine : some say it is harsh. I don’t think so. 
It invariably begins with two staccato notes and from this, his colloquial 
name is perhapsderived. Each songconsists of two parts,each much alike. 
We may call them the octave and the sestette. On the whole, a bird somet 
after the type of Michael Angelo. The song is not so sweet as that of the 
canary ; but I preferit. It has more of the touch of wild untampered Nature. 
With this bird we may conveniently close this present article. 
