Finches. 411 



slate colour of our Chaffinch's head is bright blue on the Nonpareil ; the dull brown-red of the 

 Chaffinch's breast we see as vermilion on his American relative ; and the brown back is 

 represented by a pretty olive colour. Few cage-birds will arrest the attention of any one who sees 

 them for the first time as certainly as this beautiful Finch is sure to do. His song is agreeable, 

 though not as remarkable as his beauty of plumage. Like the Indigo-bird, the Nonpareil is 

 imported in considerable numbers, but hen-birds, whose plumage is of dull olive colour, darker on 

 the back than underneath, are rarely brought over. 



The young male Nonpareil Finches resemble their mothers, and assume a highly ornate 

 plumage only in the third summer. It is therefore as likely as not that birds believed to be hens, 

 and bought for breeding, are found to be young males. In the wild state the habits of the 

 Nonpareil Finch are described as being very similar to those of the Chaffinch, whilst in the cage 

 he should be fed exactly like the Indigo-bird — viz., on seeds and a little insect food. Breeding 

 Nonpareils is not difficult, but scarcely to be recommended to amateurs. Three years is a long 

 time to wait until the young male birds are in full colour, and even then cage-bred Nonpareils 

 would never be as bright and beautiful as the imported specimens. It is, in fact, difficult to 

 preserve the bright colours of old birds for a great length of time when kept in confinement. The 

 crimson breast becomes but too often orange or yellow. To retain his beauty the Nonpareil 

 requires, more than many other cage-birds, sunshine, pure water, shady growing bushes where to 

 seek repose at pleasure, besides suitable food. 



MELODIOUS FINCH (Pkonipara canora), Cuba. 



Frijigilla canora (Russ), Loxia canora, Pyrrhtila coUaris, Fasserina collaris, Euethia canora. English dealeis' name — Cuba Finch. 



German name — " Kubafink," or " Gelbkragen." French name — " Chanteur de Cuba." 



A charming, lively, but bold and quarrelsome little bird is the Melodious or Cuba Finch, a 

 native of Cuba, where he lives on seeds, and loves to nip a little honey off flowers, or to feast on 

 spilled sugar near the plantations. His song is over-praised in calling the bird Melodious Finch, 

 and the French name, Chanteur de Cuba, can only be justified by the absence of better songsters 

 from Cuba. The Melodious Finch is one of the very smallest Finches, and about the size of the 

 Amaduvade. His prevailing colour is olive-green, the face, cheeks, and throat are black, and 

 round the throat is a broad collar of yellow tint. The breast is black, gradually fading to grey and 

 dull white over the abdomen. The female is similar, but the yellow collar in her case is dull, and 

 looks as if washed out ; the breast is dull grey instead of black. 



In the aviary these tiny Finches are extremely lively and interesting, but veritable fighting 

 cocks. They live very well on seeds, and require no extra care in winter. The facility with which 

 the Cuba Finches breed has raised them so much in the estimation of amateurs that they command 

 now prices about four times as high as ten years ago. And to breed them is very amusing, for they 

 will build a nest nearly as cleverly as any Weaver-bird, and very similarly constructed. Branches 

 of Arbor Vitae or firs are most to their taste, and to these they will fix a nest about the size and 

 shape of a goose's egg, with a tube opening downwards attached to the side, which serves as a door. 

 The eggs are found to vary in colour from white, with small green spots at the thick end, to greenish 

 or bluish white, with minute black, red, and brown spots. Male and female are frequently found 

 sitting together; and Dr. Russ, as well as many amateurs, brought up many broods of this Finch in 

 the cage and in the aviary. The young birds leave the nest very early and when scarcely fledged, 

 but must be removed for their protection as soon as their parents build again, otherwise it is quite 

 likely that their father may kill them. 



