56; 



CHAPTER XLV. 



DWARF OR FANCY FINCHES. 



The Dwarf or Fancy Finches must be considered the foreign cage-birds par excellence, but it 

 should be stated at once that very little indeed is known of the life and habits of most of 

 these little birds in their wild state, whilst a great mass of information on their habits in the 

 aviary has been collected by Dr. Russ, who closely observed most of them from the hour they 

 were hatched until the young ones had again a family of their own. Next to Dr. Russ, I had 

 probably greater opportunities than any other amateur to observe the habits of my especial 

 favourites ; but Dr. Russ devoted his entii-e time for many years to the study of foreign cage- 

 birds, whilst I could only devote my leisure hours to the same pursuit. My own experience has 

 corroborated many facts first observed and described by Dr. Russ, whilst in some cases I could 

 supplement his wonderfully exact observations in consequence of my birds being kept in a 

 slightly different climate, generally at a less temperature, and a good deal in the open air. 



These diminutive Finches are found in Asia, Africa, and Australia, whilst no representative 

 of the family has been discovered in America or Europe. In size they vary from that of our 

 common Chaffinch down to something less than our smallest Wren. These of all birds deserve 

 the name of Love-birds. At the dealers' shops hundreds may be seen in one cage, sitting as 

 close together as they can, trying to keep each other warm, and lovingly arranging each other's 

 feathers. In the aviary pairs keep together in and out of season. At night they will be 

 found either to occupy an artificial nest, or to sit close to each other on a perch. With the 

 approach of breeding-time there may be a little jealousy, but as a rule these little Finches 

 are models of behaviour, and many of them, be they varieties or several pairs of the same 

 species, can be safely kept in one cage. As regards cages, it should be remembered that 

 some which would safely hold a Canary would allow the smallest of the foreign Finches to 

 escape. The wires of cages for foreign Finches must not be more than five-eighths of an inch 

 apart, and half-inch wirework is better. 



The wants of foreign Finches when kept as cage-birds are easily supplied, canary and 

 millet seed being their staple food, and only at breeding-time is extra food required as 

 a rule. The Australian Finches deserve the foremost rank as domestic pets, as they adapt 

 themselves most readily to our climate, and some of them breed with remarkable facility in 

 the temperature of an ordinary sitting-room. Whether the immense importation of Australian 

 Finches will continue permanently is another question. A good deal has been heard lately 

 about the spread of the European rabbit in New Zealand threatening to drive the sheep off 

 their pasture grounds. The European Sparrow, too, has been imported into Queensland, and 

 seems to thrive so well, monopolising the best feeding-grounds and the best breeding-places, 

 that the indigenous and weaker birds are in some districts being driven to other quarters, and 

 some of them possibly out of existence. A sparrow, having no commercial value, is never 

 trapped ; while the beautiful little Australian Finches are caught by thousands, in order to bring 

 hundreds to the European market. 



