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The Rainbow Bunting.


THE RAINBOW BUNTING.



A short time ago I received the following letter from Mrs.

Miller, a most enthusiastic aviculturist, with a fine collection of

mostly rare foreign cage birds, which testify to the careful

treatment they receive by their excellent condition and tame¬

ness.


“Dear Mr. Seth-Smith,


“Mr. Hainlyn lias sent me up a bird tliat I think must be very rare;

it is really very beautiful and I am anxious to know if you can name him

for me. The size is that of a small Tanager, but the build is more like that

of a Pekin Robin. The bill is short, rather thick, and of a metallic clear

bluish colour. Brow or forehead of a delicate sage green, head and back of

a lovely shining blue, like the blue on an English Kingfisher. Golden

rings round eyes (which are large and bright); breast of plum colour shading

to pale gold; dark green on wings and tail in places.


“The bird is very lively ; appears to be a seed-eater with a liking for

live insects and has no song as yet.


“I shall be pleased to show him to you. He is supposed to have

come from Venezuela. (Mrs.) K. L. MiEEER.”


I called to see the bird which its owner most kindly

showed me. It was a truly lovely creature, which I recognised

as one of the Neotropical Buntings of the genus Cyanospiza, but

I was quite unable to name the species. However, when at the

Natural History Museum Mr. Chubb kindly opened the drawer

containing the genus Cyanospiza , and I at once recognised Mrs.

Miller’s bird as C. leclancheri , a Mexican species. I had just been

reading Mr. C. W. Beebe’s charming book entitled Two Bird-

lovers i?i Mexico, in which the author gives the following account

of this Bunting.


“ The most beautiful of all the small birds was a bunting.

We christened him the Rainbow Bunting, but the books call him

the Leclanclier Bunting. These little finches flitted through the

underbush in pairs, searching for insects and seeds among the

leaves or mounting to the top of a small bush and giving voice to

their joy in a little ditty, the attempt at which was most to be

admired, for the twittering ended in promise. Their beauty and

vivacity evade all description. A photograph would convey no¬

thing of their charm. Try to imagine a little feathered sprite,

less than five inches in length, with a crown of apple-green ;



