les' plus afifectue'ux, et qu'il avait coutunle de saltier d’un erf taut particulier..

Ce doraestique quitta la maison : des auneesse passerent pendant lesquelles

on ne le revit plus. Un soir, tout a coup le perroquet jeta sou cri d’autrefois

et le repeta precipitamment avec beaucoup d’excitation. Ouelqu'uu eut la

curiosite de regarder par la fenetre et vit'passer un carrosse derriere 1 e-quel se

tenait debout l'ancieii ami de l’oiseau, err Hvreeet cheveux poudres. II avait

ete reconnu inalgre le temps ecoule et le changemeut de costume.


D’ou il suit que les perroquets-pen vent rivaliser pour la fidelite avec le

cliien d’Ulysse, qui devina son maitre apres vingt ans d’absence, sous les-

habits d'un meudiant.



NEW BOOKS.


Foreign Finches in Captivity , Fart IV'., Bv A. G. Butler, Ph.D ., eic.


(L. Reeve of Co., Henrietta Street, Covent Garden).


In part IV., the author describes that very fascinating species the

Cuba Finch ; and commences his account of the so-called Ornamental

Finches.


The artist has been very successful in catching the alert attitude

so cliaracteri hie of the Cuba Finch, but the colouring is not altogether

accurate, being too light on the under surface of the body.


The Waxbills are, of all foreign cage-birds, the most easily procured

and the most popular, and this part of “Foreign Finches’ 7 will therefore

prove of the greatest interest to aviculturists. The description of their

habits and proper treatment in captivity is thoroughly practical, and is

much ill advance of anything yet published in this country on the subject.


The coloured plates vary in merit : those of the Lavender Finch and

Amaduvade are charming, both as regards the drawing and colouring; the

Green Amaduvade, on the other hand, looks like a badly-stuffed specimen.


According to our experience the Green Amaduvade is not at all

delicate ; but it is a species difficult to preserve in good plumage, and is, of

all the Waxbills, the most liable to baldness.


Dr. Butler, like most aviculturists, finds the African Fire-finch most

susceptible to cold. We have known a specimen, however, to live through

the winter,. in perfect health, in an unheated outdoor aviary, but most of

the birds imported die within a short time. The Lavender Finch we

have kept in a sitting-room without difficult)’; but it is probable that, as

Dr. Butler says, this species is more delicate than the Crimson-eared

Waxbill or Cordon-bleu. Indeed, we are of opinion that the latter species

is by no means difficult to preserve, if properly treated.


The last species described and figured is the Violet-eared Waxbill,

which we have never seen in a private collection ; a fine pair was living in

the Zoological Gardens a year or two ago.



Nottingham Arboretum Aviary : A Descriptive Account of the Aviary and its

Imnmves , by C. L. Rothera, B.A.


Fvery English town, important enough to be a corporation, ought to

possess a municipal aviary — but we are not aware of any provincial

town, besides Nottingham, which can yet boast of one. All honour, then,

to Nottingham for leading the way and Setting an example to other

boroughs, and all honour to the Nottingham aviculturist who initiated the

scheme and brought it to a successful issue.


From this little work written by Mr. Rothera, the Honorary Curator

(and chief founder) of the Arboretum Aviary, we learn that if “ is the

“result of a Memorial, signed in a couple of days by upwards of 450

“ residents and ratepayers of the borough, and presented to the Town

“ Council in February, 1S89; the initial steps being taken by Mr. Charles L-

“ Rothera, who, in forwarding the sheets to the Town Clerk for presenta-

“ tion, undertook to secure that the Aviary, if erected, should be suitably

“ stocked without expense to the ratepayers. The Council referred the

“ Memorial to the Public Parks’ Committee, who recommended that its



