shrubs ; also they are described as professional murderers of all

besides themselves.


My Many-colors may some day do both ! When they do,

I will believe. Till then I will endeavour, as our late Secretary

once asked me, to keep an “ open mind,” as open as that of a

statesman uncertain in what direction the popular cat is going

to jump, or as the valves of an oyster long parted from its

native bed.



THE LITTLE FINCH.


(Phonipara pusilla.)


By Reginald Phielipps.


A description of this bird may be found at page 147, vol.

xii. of the Natural History Museum Catalogue; but not in any

other work that I possess is it so much as referred to, although

its near relations P. canora, and P. lepida or olivacea (Cuba and

Olive Finches) are mentioned by writers, old and new. By what

English name it is distinguished I do not know; so I am calling

it “ The Little Finch ” until otherwise instructed.


On 2nd August, 1899, three young males came into my

hands, to which were added, on the 28th, two females, one fairly

good but the other nearly as round as a marble. When received

they seemed to be just moulting out of their nest feathers.


The males, which were very quarrelsome amongst them¬

selves, ma3^ be distinguished as Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Males 1 and 2

(No. 3 was afraid of the others and kept in the background)

were most anxious to nest, but only with the best female,

ignoring the other, and also a healthy young female Cuba Finch

who share a large flight-cage with them.


On 3rd September, I found the best female dead in a tiny

saucer of water ; doubtless she had been set upon b\^ the two

males while taking a bath, and had become so saturated and

weakened as to be unable to get out.


All my hopes had been centred on this bird, for the

surviving female did not look like living. Nevertheless I

quickly cleared out the males, and brought all my limited store

of medical knowledge to bear upon her; and with un-hoped-for

results, for little by little she distinctly got better. Male No. 1

I had in the meantime paired off with the Cuba Finch, consider¬

ing her to be the more likely^ female of the two ; but at that time he

would not look at her : with a wisp of hay in his bill, he had

only one thought, and that was to get out of his cage and join



