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somewhat free breeder in captivity. According to Dr. Russ, it

has been bred in Germany by Mr. W. Hartwig.


I feed my Black-tailed Hawfinches on canary seed, paddy

rice, sunflower seed, German rape, linseed, and occasionally

some hemp seed. I also give them very frequently a small

quantity of Abrahams’ Preserved Egg—they will not eat fresh

egg, although they fed their young one on it. They also have

a good deal of fruit and green food, but they will not touch

insedt food in any form.


Considering its handsome appearance, fine song, hardiness,

and readiness to nest, the Black-tailed Hawfinch, if regularly

imported, would doubtless become a favourite aviary bird. Its

greatest fault is its spitefulness towards other birds, which

renders it quite impossible to keep it in a mixed aviary. I have

tried more than once to keep other birds with my Hawfinches,

but have alwaj^s been obliged to remove them on account of the

persecution to which the Hawfinches subjected them, though I

am bound to say that I never found that any injury had been

inflicted, beyond the loss of a few feathers.


The Black-tailed Hawfinch is sometimes known as the

Japanese Hawfinch, but the true Coccothraustes japonica is a

quite different species. Our bird is a' native of China, and is

of doubtful occurrence in Japan.


The; Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes).


This handsome bird is not quite so rare in England as is

often supposed, its great shyness making it very careful to avoid

observation. It is not much of a favourite as an aviary bird, on

account of its spitefulness towards other birds : for this reason

it should never be trusted in a mixed aviary of small birds, but

it could doubtless be kept with Parrakeets.


I have never kept this species, but it would no doubt

thrive on the same diet as its Black-tailed relation.


The Yeleow-beeeied Grosbeak fPheucticus chrysogaster).


This bird is fully as ugly as its name, which is saying a

good deal. It is as large as a Virginian Cardinal, very stoutly

built, and with a short tail. The general colour of the male is

golden yellow very much mottled with blackish ; the wings,

however, are black or blackish brown, with white spots. The

bird looks much like a very large and stout Saffron Finch,

without the orange forehead. I have never seen the female,

but her general colour is described as ashy brown.



