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cockroaches, and though rather shy, will at once come down

from his perch when I put a panful of the coveted delicacy in

the aviary.


I find all the larger Finches are fond of oats, though

I do not remember to have seen this grain recommended by

aviculturists. In the summer I collected a good supply of grass

in seed as it ripened, also plantain ; the small Finches take very

kindly to the former, but will not touch the plantain. Hips

and haws are also useful food ; soft-billed birds eat the flesh,

Tanagers being especially greedy after it: the Finches pick out

the seeds, and then eat the fleshy parts as well.


I think it best to have as many of my birds as possible in

the open air in the summer, but it is no doubt useless to expeCt

to do much good in the way of breeding, with a large number in

one aviary. I am, therefore, planning a new outside aviary,

fourteen feet long and ten feet deep, with a house at the back,

four feet deep, for shelter in bad weather. I shall divide this

into two compartments, in each of which I think three pairs of

small Finches should find sufficient accommodation to rear their

families without interfering with each other. I propose having

the greater part of the ground of grass, and only gravel under

the perches ; I suppose it would not do to have the whole grass.

By means of this aviary I hope to considerably increase my

young broods next summer.



RARE FOREIGN BIRDS.


(SECOND SERIES).


V.—THE CRIMSON-BANDED WHYDAH.


By H. J. Fuixjames.


It is as difficult to keep the name of our friend Mr. Joseph

Abrahams out of any article on Foreign birds, as it was to keep

King Charles’s head out of the memorial of the immortal Mr.

Dick. I therefore make no apology for commencing by stating

that in all Mr. Abrahams’ experience he has seen but two

Crimson-banded Whydahs, one of which is mine.


In all the works upon Foreign birds that are in my

possession, I have only found one reference to the species. This

occurs in Part I of “ Birds of Western Africa,” by W. Swainson,

forming Vol. XI of “The Naturalists’ Eibrary.” The Eatin

name of the bird is therein given as Vidiia rubritorques : but

when, by the courtesy of Dr. Butler, I was shewn over the

unique collection of foreign bird skins at the Natural History

Museum at South Keusiugton, I found the skin of the species



