Reviews.



201



the same time, also the Fire-finch cock. They are all in beautiful plumage,

never a feather out of place. When I read of members buying several

pairs of Cordons and Lavenders before they can get a pair to live, I feel

very pleased with myself.


The cage has two small wooden nest-boxes hung on the back wall a

little way from the roof, and the birds sit on the top of these boxes for

hours at a time in preference to the perches. Some sleep in them at night,

and the Cordons often use them in the day-time, and sit side by side with

their heads peeping out. I have a branch of an apple tree tied to a long

perch running the full length of the cage, and they enjoy’ all the small

twigs, which make a nice change from ordinary perches for their small

feet.


I feed them on Canary seed, white millet, spray, maw-seed, a little

Spratts’ egg-food in winter. They eat a large quantity of grass in the ear

when we are in the country’ in summer. They live in a nice sunny school¬

room with a western aspect. The first year I had them the Cordon hen

laid a few eggs, but since then they’ have shown no signs of mating, and

the cock has never sung his love-song with a piece of grass in his beak.

The Fire-finch hen also laid some eggs and died, and I have not replaced

her. Barbara Younger.



REVIEWS.



BIRDS OF COLORADO*


The United States covers such a vast territory, that in spite

of the activity of the numerous excellent ornithologists in that

part of the world, there is much to be discovered relating to the

distribution and habits of its bird fauna. As a contribution to

this subject, the volume before us by Mr. Sclater will admirably

fulfil its purpose. The names, both trivial and scientific, are

taken from the third edition of the A.O.U. Check List and

much valuable space too often devoted to synonymy has thus

been saved. Under each species we find the following heads:

(i) References to Colorado records, (2) Full description, chiefly’

of the adult male, and we feel that a little more space might have

been devoted to the fuller description ot the plumages of the

females and young. Mr. Sclater implies in his introduction that



Birds of Colorado by William Lutlky Sclater. 8vo. 576 pp. 16 photographs and 1 map.

London : Witherby & Co. 21/- net.



