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I think it unwise to keep Parrots and Parrakeets in a mixed aviary:

as Mr. Rothera says, they are not so much vicious as they are mischievous,

and therefore should be kept in aviaries by themselves, where a knowledge

of the family weakness will stand the weaker members in good stead when

they see a larger brother eyeing their legs and sidling up to them in that

confiding and innocent way that they have.


In these few lines, if I have seemed sometimes to contradidl Mr.

Rothera, I hope he will forgive me and not think that I am criticising his

article. He has given his experience and I am giving mine, and if the

readers of the Avicultural Magazine can pick up any information from

either experience that will be of use to them, we shall both have

accomplished our object.


John Sergeant.



CITRIR FINCHES.


Sir,—I should be greatly obliged if any member of the Avicultural

Society could give any information on the Citril Finch (F. Citrinella) in

confinement. I have never seen this bird alive, but judging from the plate

in Gould’s “ Birds of Europe ” I should imagine it to be a very pretty

aviary bird.


I bought two birds last autumn, advertised as Citril Finches, but I

was quite sure on receiving them that they were not the true species. I

.gave one of these to my friend, Mr. Verrall, of Rewes, who informed me it

was the same kind as some he bought twelve years ago from Mr. Abrahams,

as Brazilian Finches, and that their scientific name was Sycalis luteiventris.

They are rather uninteresting birds and only worth keeping for their very

peculiar song.


Two birds I got this spring, advertised as Citron Finches, were

bright-plumaged Serins (S. serinus ).


Mr. Abrahams is the only dealer I have spoken to who seemed to

know the true kind ; and I hope he or some of our importers ma5 r , before

long, let us have a look at F. Citrinella.


G. C. SwaieES.



Sir,— I, also, purchased two of the so-called Citril Finches referred

to by Mr. Swailes. They were both cocks. I afterwards obtained from Mr.

Swaysland a true pair of the same species. The hen made a nest in a cigar

box, a few weeks ago in my aviary, but unfortunately died suddenly just as

I hoped she was going to lay. These birds are near relations to the Saffron

Finch ; there are several species, or rather sub-species, which very closely

resemble one another, but so far as I can make out, my birds are Sycalis

arve?isis, and undoubtedly Mr. Swailes’ were the same. Some months ago,

Mr. Swaysland had several specimens of a smaller species (probably S.

minor ).


Sycalis arvensis is extremely like a Green Canary in appearance, but

in disposition resembles the Saffron-finch. Rike the Saffron-finch, it is

rather quarrelsome, though mine have never done any damage, and its

love-antics are of the same boisterous and unloverlike character. Rike Mr.

Swailes, I do not care for the bird. I have never seen the true Citril Finch,

but I understand that it differs from the Serin chiefly in the shape of its

beak, which is sharper and more Siskin-like. The Citril Finch is placed



