9i


after the lien had dropped several eggs about the aviary, she laid two in

the nest and hatched both. The young grew well for a few days, then

disappeared : eaten, I presumed, by their parents. Last year, they built

another nest, in a box, the hen adting exactly as the preceding year : several

eggs were dropped about the aviary; eventually, three were laid in the nest

and all hatched. They disappeared again, one after the other, as the year

before ; the last, when nearly a week old. The parents are fed as already

stated, and get a more liberal supply of ants’-eggs and mealworms, and a

little preserved yolk of egg, when young are in the nest. So far, this year,

I have found one egg on the floor of the aviary ; no attempt, yet, at

building a nest. The eggs are similar to those of the House Sparrow for

colour, but larger and rounder, and there are generally three to each nest.

They are said to have two nests in the year; and this I think corredt; for

my hen has laid six eggs each year, dropped on the floor aud in the nests.


Although some amateurs give the Virginian Cardinals a bad character

towards small birds kept in the same aviary with them, I cannot say mine

have done any harm. I firmly believe, though, they ate their own young

on the two occasions mentioned; and at one time, I thought they had

filched, too, a nest of four newly-hatched Blue Robins ; but when the

second nest (five) came, and I saw the Blue Robins themselves flying about

with a young one in their beaks, I freed the Cardinals from the disgrace of

having eaten the first four. The male-bird chases the hen about a good

deal as the breeding season comes on. I have seen the tables turned with

my pair, and the hen chasing the cock ; singing, when about to do so, the

same notes he does, but in a softer tone. Hen Virginian Cardinals,

therefore, sing.



THE CLASSIFICATION OF FOREIGN FINCHES.


By H. R. FlTTMER.



(Continued from page 82).


The Family Ploceidce has 110 representatives in the British Isles, but to

tliis Family belong by far the larger number of species of our common

Foreign Cage-birds, for it comprises all the Weavers, Waxbills, Mannikins,

and Grass-finches. All the small seed-eating birds from Australia belong to

this Family, for that Island-Continent contains no indigenous species of

Fringill.idce. The term ‘‘Ornamental-finches” is sometimes used for all

the Ploceidce to distinguish them from the Fringillidce.


The Ploceidce are divided into the two Sub-Families of Viduince and

Ploceince, in the latter are placed some of the Weavers, but for want of space

I will here deal only with the Viduince.


In the British Museum Catalogue, the groups which aviculturists

distinguish by the names of Weaver, Waxbill, Mannikin, and Grass-finch

are not recognised, and the genera of the Ploceidce are arranged in an

order which I think no one acquainted with the living birds will be

disposed to accept as final. It must be borne in mind, that Dr. Sharpe’s

classification is based solety upon a study of structure , to the total neglect of the

study of the habits of the living bird — such a classification mustnecessarily be

onesided. The ornithologist who shall unite a profound knowledge of

anatomy with an equally thorough knowledge of living birds has yet to

appear — aud until he does appear we must put up with more or less

imperfect systems of classification.


The following list of genera and species in the sub-family Viduince

includes most of the birds familiar to aviculturists, though it does not

pretend to be exhaustive.



GENERA.


Vidua


Sieeganura


Chera


Penthetriopsis



SPECIES.



ENGLISH NAME OF SPECIES.



V. principalis

S. paradisea

C. procne ..

P. macrura



Pin-tailed Wliydah

Paradise Whydali

Long-tailed Whvdah

Yellow-backed Whydah



