368 Canaries and Cage-Birds. 



African Finches require a certain amount of heat, and if the temperature of their abode 

 should be permanently much below 6o' Fahr. in winter, their plumage will suffer sooner or later, 

 and there will be very little chance of breeding. They will live at a less temperature if they 

 are protected from draught and damp, and are carefully tended as regards food, but to breed 

 them an even temperature of something near 70° is needful. Insufficient temperature, like 

 foul air or wrong food, causes the feathers to lose their lustre and to fall out ; the birds will 

 lack stamina for the development of their plumage, will remain bald for awhile, and then die of 

 exhaustion. None of these little Finches can stand a temperature near freezing-point for any 

 length of time. There may be a cold night even late in spring, and the thermometer may 

 then fall low for an hour or two just before daybreak without any harm resulting to delicate 

 birds if healthy ; but they cannot endure cold for any length of time like the Canary and many 

 larger Finches. 



Ornithologists disagree in respect of the scientific classification of the Dwarf Finches almost 

 more even than about other birds. Dr. Russ divides the large family into two groups, viz., 

 the Small-Billed Astrilds — Aigintliince ; the Strong-Billed Amadinae — Spennestinee. In the list 

 of the Zoological Society we find the generic names of Estrelda in place of Dr. Russ's JEgintJia, 

 and Pytelia, Aniadina, Mimia, and Poepliila instead of Dr. Russ's Sperinestes. With the aid of 

 this explanation and the list of Latin names the reader will be enabled to trace in scientific 

 works all those foreign Finches named in this book. 



Many years ago the merest accident made me possessor of a small cage with half a dozen 

 of the smallest foreign Finches. At that time my knowledge of foreign birds was a blank, but 

 the little creatures interested me more and more day by day. Passing shops where foreign birds 

 were offered for sale, I could not help comparing the bright and happy demeanour of my little 

 pets with that of birds lately arrived, worn and bruised by the voyage, and now and then I 

 increased my stock. The one cage was soon followed by the purchase of others ; the half-dozen 

 birds became dozens. When a mishap occurred and a bird died, I tried to discover the cause, 

 in order to avoid it for the survivors ; and this led, step by step, to highly interesting studies, and 

 as pleasant an occupation for leisure hours as any one can possibly wish for. All the foreign 

 Finches usually offered for sale were soon represented in my little collection, but then came 

 the ambition to possess and keep alive birds not often seen elsewhere. The construction of 

 an aviary soon gave suitable quarters to my birds, and permitted the addition of many varieties. 

 Periodical visits to the dealers on the chance of finding some rare birds proved often fruitless, 

 but sometimes a prize fell into my hands. 



In the course of ten years I had thus in my care every kind of foreign Finch named in 

 the list of the Zoological Society, and a good many besides. Rare birds have come into my 

 hands in the most unexpected manner imaginable. Very few museums have a skin of the 

 beautiful Australian Painted Finch {Emblema picta, Gould), and there is probably no living 

 specimen in Europe : the Zoological Garden of London never possessed one. I shall relate 

 hereafter how I once found a pair in a hairdresser^s shop in Liverpool, and bought them for 

 a few shillings, and how on another occasion I bought three from a journeyman wireworker. 

 I have before me now a little African Finch which had much puzzled myself and others, until 

 it was settled beyond doubt that he was an entirely new species, strangely overlooked by all 

 scientific ornithologists. Another fortunate accident enabled me to purchase a pair of birds of 

 a kind I had never seen before, and which were not to be found alive in any collection. I 

 had the good luck to breed and rear them successfully, and one such success rewards the 

 amateur amply for many failure:* : 



