Of all the Waxbills the most delightful is probably

Dufresne's Waxbill {Coccopygia dufresnii), but unfortunately I

cannot endorse the opinion that seems generally held of the

robustness of its constitution. I have had five individuals this

year, three cocks and two hens, and have now only one, a cock,

remaining. They were all in perfect health when I received

them, but dropped off one after the other without an}^ previous

sign of illness, after living with me for about two months. In

the same aviary I have kept two pairs of African Fire Finches

for over a year in perfect health, not to mention Cordon Bleus

for longer, so the conditions would seem quite favourable for

delicate species.


Another bird that seems difficult to keep is the Lined

Finch : it always appears moping and out of health, and never

lives long. Its nails grow at a rate that I have never seen

equalled in any other bird and require cutting almost weekl}^, a

very troublesome peculiarity in an aviary-kept bird. The

Guttural Finch I have found equally short lived (though I doubt

if I have ever had a thoroughly healthy individual); a great

contrast to its congener, the White -throated Finch, which

nothing seems to affect. This latter I had hopes of breeding

this year ; a small open cup-shaped nest was built very neatly

with bents in a branch of box, but no eggs were ever laid. The

Reddish Finch seems also fairly robust, though delicate when

newly-imported.


I think Mr. Fillraer rather maligns the Rufous-tailed

Finch. I have had a pair for nearly two years and, though kept

with the smaller Waxbills, have found them perfectly peaceable.

The hen is a ver}^ ready layer, but always dispenses with the

formality of a nest, preferring to deposit her eggs on the open

floor of the aviary ; she is apt to get egg-bound in the winter,

but this trouble invariably yields to the application of heat.


I have had a pair of Three-coloured Parrot Finches

{Erythrura trichrod) for some months. They are rather timid

and placid birds, but occasionally indulge in a very rapid flight

round their aviary. I believe allthe individuals now in Europe

are the descendants of a very small importation that reached

Germany some years ago ; it would appear, therefore, that they

are not difiicult to breed, but my pair has shown no sign of

doing so yet. They are certainly not so brilliant as the

commoner Parrot Finch, but the combination of subdued green,

blue and red is distindtly pleasing. I have not kept the two

species together and cannot say how they would agree ; the



