African IVaxbills. 



375 



Common Waxbill long, and any opening for food or water glasses should be most carefully closed 

 whenever the birds are fed. Should they once escape, it will be found most difficult to catch them 

 in a room, and quite hopeless to recover them if they have found their way through a window. 



The life of this little bird in the wild state has scarcely been observed, but of his habits 

 in captivity we have very full informaton. The Common Waxbill has been imported into 

 Europe since the last century, and ancient writers have mostly thought him the same bird as 

 the larger St. Helena Waxbill. Both have a greyish-brown plumage, marked with extremely 

 faint wave-like dark lines athwart the body. The abdomen has a very bright roseate hue, 

 which is brightest in the centre and fainter towards the sides and chest. The beak is a 

 bright coral-red, and a broad red line passes from the root of the beak through the eyes. 

 The tail is dark brown, rather long, the central feathers being longest and wedge-shaped ; and 

 Dr. Russ very truly says that the tail of this and other Estreldce seems to be, like the dog's tail, 

 the organ by which they outwardly express their feelings. When the tail is at rest the bird is 

 listless ; when excited or singing the tail is spread fan-like ; when in search of food, or curious, the 

 tail moves incessantly sideways. Male and female are alike in plumage, except in autumn, 

 when the rosy tint of the male becomes much brighter. 



In captivity this bird lives very well, is always cheerful and happy, and rarely loses his 

 feathers, even if kept at a low temperature, in which the Amaduvade Finch would become bald. 

 His food in the cage consists of spray millet, French millet, and canary-seed. 



To breed the Common Waxbill is a different matter. Dr. Russ has led the way, and a number 

 of amateurs have succeeded after him, but it has been ascertained that the bird can scarcely be 

 bred in a cage, although he will breed freely in a large aviary. In my experience this species 

 never made an attempt to build a nest, because my aviary, during the breeding season of African 

 Waxbills — viz., September to March — was kept at a temperature of 55" to 60*^ Fahr., which was 

 not sufficient. Dr. Russ had several pairs breeding peaceably at the same time in one room, and 

 found the nests constructed in all manner of ways, sometimes in shrubs, and again in nest-boxes, 

 and even on the ground ; in some cases very artistically constructed, and in others an immense 

 accumulation of fibres. Very often they fail to bring up their young, but they have been bred 

 often with success for all that, and have in those cases fed the young brood on dried and soaked 

 ants' eggs and egg. 



RED-BELLIED WAXBILL (Estrelda rubrhentris), West Africa. 

 (Illustration painted from life.) 

 Loxia astrild, Fringilla astrild et rtiiriventris, Fringilla asirild, Eslrelda aslrild, Hahropyga astrild, Eslrelda occidetttalis, 

 Estrelda ccs^'ulescens^ Estrelda or Fringilla c(endescens, Eslrelda undulata, Linarla cineria orienfalis, Seiiegalis slrialiis, 

 Fringilla undnlafa. Dealers' name — St. Helena Waxbill. French — "Astrild de St. Helene," "Astrild Ondule." 

 German — "Der Gewellte Astrild," " Fasiinclien, " "Wellen Astrild," " Rotlib-.iuchiger Astrild." 



The Red-bellied or St. Helena Waxbill is annually imported in very large numbers, 

 and is one of the most common birds on the island of St. Helena. In appearance the bird 

 is very similar to the Common Waxbill. We find the same coral-red beak, the same red 

 line through the eye region, the same soft brown body-colour and roseate tint on the lower 

 body. But the wave-like cross-lines, which are mostly very faint on the plumage of the Common 

 Waxbill, are very distinctly marked on the St. Helena Waxbill. This bird is somewhat larger 

 than his miniature cousin, less agile, more stately in his movements, and an ever-welcome 

 inhabitant of any aviary. His manners are peculiarly gentle, his movements very graceful, 

 and his appearance is decidedly handsome. Neither shy nor bold, the St. Helena Waxbill 

 quietly observes his owner, and will readily become quite confiding if properly treated and 



