2 3 S



who lived longer than No. 2, was in the more advanced plumage

when it died, being much more yellow in general colour, but

with a crown only slightly darker than the body, whereas on No.

1 the black from the forehead extended up to and encroached

upon the (^) Crown. On the other hand, front about the time

that the latter was struck with mortal illness, the black breast

patch, which had been his great beauty and distinguishing

mark, very greatly faded, and the upper parts of the body had

become again of a dull brown, the yellow wash having dis¬

appeared. On March 16, I was So struck by the incouspicuous-

ness of the breast patch that I was quite perturbed, wondering if

the bird could be only P. lepida after all. The bird was on the

ground near the window, feeding in the sun ; and at a distance

of less than two feet I scrutinised the plumage carefully (not for

the first time by many), and found that the ear-coverts were

tinged with green as in the Olive Finch. I at once referred to

the skins of males 2 and 3, and a glance at their breasts reassured

me, for previously No. 1 had been the most finely plumed of the

lot.


Altogether our knowledge of the plumage of these two

birds, in their several stages, seems to me to be in an unsatisfactory

state ; and further investigation would seem desirable.


The last chapter in the history of my Tittle Finches is a

sad one ; indeed the whole story seems but a mournful record of

blundering and disaster. On January 28, 1900, I suddenly became

aware that both my males were dying, No. 3 dying the same'

night from acute inflammation. Both had been shut up, in

separate cages, on opposite sides of the room, with a number of

other birds. Whether the room door had been left open in the

early morning, perhaps too while the adjoining front door was

open for door-step-cleaning purposes, or otherwise, I do not

know, but evidentl} 7, there had been some sudden undue lowering

of the temperature of the room. To make the matter worse, a

spiteful female Bengali had worried and injured No. r. So

crushed and cowed did he seem that I placed him quietly with

the little widow, in the hopes that her presence might give him

heart, which, doubtless it did, for he lived quietly and I may

say happily with her until March 18, when I found him dead

in bed, having passed away in his sleep, from some disease of

the kidneys brought on doubtless by a chill. It is unquestionably

a delicate species, requiring special watchfulness as regards


(b) This black seems to run up the sides of the crown in a V shape, forming ail

edging, sometimes faint but sometimes broad and bold, to the yellow superciliary

streaks.—R P.



