Rake Wax bills. 381 



home in a nest-box and constructed a slovenly kind of nest, in which they liked to sit for 

 hours during the day-time. The last surviving specimen was presented to the' Zoological 

 Gardens, in order to be more accessible to scientific ornithologists and to others who take an 

 interest in rare foreign Finches. 



The food I gave was millet and canary seed and millet in the ear, and the birds lived 

 for years very quietly with Double-banded Finches. 



THE CRIMSON-WINGED WAXBILL (Pytelia phmrkoptera). West Africa. 

 Aigintha phcenicoptera (Russ), Estrdda crythroptera, Zonogastris phcenicoptera. Dealers' name — Aurora Finch. 



German — "Aurora fink." 



The Crimson-winged Waxbill is nearly but not quite as large as a Goldfinch. Whenever 

 obtainable, he is one of the greatest ornaments of an aviary tenanted by foreign birds. The 

 head and back are a soft grey tint, the lower part a shade darker and prettily marked by 

 white wave-like bars. The wings and tail are brilliant red, the beak is black. These red 

 wings give the bird a most striking appearance, especially when basking in the hot summer 

 sun, which he loves to do. The female is similar, but easily distinguished by the wings 

 being much less bright. 



In the London Zoological Gardens the first Crimson-winged Waxbills were received in 

 1874. I have had them before that date more than once, and Dr. Russ had one bird of this 

 species in 1870. Dr. Russ succeeded in breeding the Crimson-winged Waxbill, and in my 

 aviary one pair built a nest and laid four eggs late in autumn, which nest I had unfortu- 

 nately to destroy. Whilst Dr. Russ found his Pytelia phosnicoptera building their nest in a 

 nest-box, mine built theirs in a rather artistic manner "in the sunniest part of their summer 

 aviary in a bush. Cold weather coming on, I was obliged to shut the birds into their 

 winter quarters and to separate them from their pretty little nest and four pure white eggs. 



The food is the same as that of other Waxbills, but a little more additional animal 

 food is required, and it would not be safe to keep this beautiful Finch at a less temperature 

 than 60° Fahr. I found him by no means delicate, and it is much to be regretted that 

 there should be but little probability of the bird ever being imported in sufficient numbers 

 to be readily obtainable. He is found in only a small part of Africa, and his habits not 

 being gregarious, bird-catchers will never be able to secure many at a time. 



THE PAINTED FINCH (Emblema picta), North-western Australia. 

 ALgintha picta (Russ). German — "Gemalter Astrild." 



The Painted Finch was considered by Mr. Gould to be the most beautiful of all the 

 Australian Finches, but amateurs seem destined to have to wait long until this magnificent 

 bird shall become known. The skin of the first specimen discovered was lost, and for many 

 years the only proof of the existence of the bird was a drawing. At the present moment 

 there is probably no zoological garden in Europe in possession of a live specimen, and very 

 few museums have even a skin. 



It will show how an amateur can render services to science by simply keeping his eyes 

 open, if I relate how I came to be possessed of this almost mythical bird more than once. 

 In the year 1869 I had occasion to employ a journeyman wireworker, who, seeing my 

 interest in foreign birds, used to report to me whatever new birds he saw at bird-dealers' 

 for whom he worked. One day he told me of "Julian Finches," and as I had never heard of 



