Australian Finches. 393 



want of something to do makes the birds long to carry something about in their bill. No 

 doubt both theories will soon be tested, for the new German egg-food will readily supply 

 the animal substance for which the birds are supposed to crave, or a handful of canary or 

 millet in the ear, or even of common chafif, would afford birds on the voyage something 

 to play with. This Finch is peculiarly jealous, and I think his temperament will finally 

 explain this mania for destroying each other's plumage during the long voyage to Europe. 



In the aviary the Diamond Sparrow is fairly peaceable, but the bird lacks the agility 

 and liveliness of the smaller Finches, and is apt to become too fat. A pair will sit for hours 

 quietly on a branch or perch, when the male will slowly erect his body, utter a long-drawn, 

 loud call, and then sink back into his former position. Canary and millet seed, with some 

 millet in the ear, are really all the Spotted-sided Finches require as food ; they will take a 

 few mealworms and some soft food, but this should only be given at breeding-time. 

 This is one of the few Finches bred at the Zoological Gardens. Amateurs have often 

 bred the Diamond Sparrow, but with very variable success. One breeder will rear a 

 great many, whilst others do not succeed at all. 



If breeding is intended it is advisable to separate the males and females during the 

 winter, and to keep two or more of each sex in a very large cage. Their jealousy will 

 cause a sufficient amount of exercise. The bird is quite indifferent to temperature, and may 

 be kept almost anywhere ; in fact, some breeders maintain that very cold weather improves the 

 plumage of the Diamond Sparrow. About March the birds may be paired, but never should 

 more than one pair be put in a cage or aviary. Breeding Diamond Sparrows in winter is 

 not to be recommended. These Finches will build a very rough nest, either in a high bush, 

 or in a German cage, possibly on the top of a cage. Nest-boxes with solid sides they will 

 not inhabit. The nest is a huge bundle of sticks, hay, green-stuff, grass, or fibre ; and the pure 

 white eggs will be hatched in about twelve days. The young brood is, however, somewhat 

 slow in maturing, and the difificulty is to rear them and to keep the parents in order. It 

 has been observed that in many cases the mother is so jealous of the young brood that 

 if the male bird comes near the nest he will be persecuted so vigorously that the young 

 brood may be forgotten, or the male parent killed by the mother of the chirping family. 

 A separation of these veritably hen-pecked husbands from their family is then the only 

 remedy. For feeding the young Diamond Sparrows, live insect food is absolutely necessary, 

 and fresh ants' eggs the best ; in their stead mealworms, egg-food, and scalded, soaked, 

 and strained seeds may be used. Cage-bred Diamond Sparrows have some value, and 

 it may be worth while to breed them with an eye to a pecuniary return for the trouble 

 and expense. Breeders should bear in mind that their chief care must be not to allow 

 the stock-birds to get fat, and to separate the males if, after hatching, there should be 

 any family quarrels. A very large cage for each pair is indispensable, and the presence 

 of other Finches will probably lead to mischief If too comfortably housed and provided 

 for, the Diamond Sparrow is apt, like other foreign Finches, to build a number of nests, and 

 to shirk the trouble of hatching. 



In my own aviary the Spotted-sided Finch carried a lot of grass, hay, and fibres into 

 the crown of a small tree, and formed a pile of nesting materials, which might or might not 

 be a nest. I found at various times eggs, but was not fortunate enough to obtain any 

 broods of young Diamond Sparrows, whilst a friend of mine succeeded with very little 

 trouble in rearing brood after brood in a cage about twice as large as a London-made canary 

 breeding-cage. 

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