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My Japanese Rose-Fmches.



MY JAPANESE ROSE-FINCHES.


By Colling wood Ingram.


The path followed the folds of the azalea-clad mountain,

now near, now far from the noisy torrent, but ever trending

upwards towards the snows that sparkled in the distant sunlight.

At last it took a sharp bend and opened to view a little brown

village, nestling in a grove of pines and spruces. As we drew

nearer I noticed that three bamboo cages were hanging from the

walls of one of the houses—the village tea-house as it afterwards

proved to be. Upon closer acquaintance I found that these cages

contained a Varied Tit, a Japanese Bullfinch and two other birds;

one of the latter, obviously the male, being surprisingly beauti¬

ful. These were Japanese Rose-Finches, known to ornithologists

by the unlovely title of Uragus or Carpodacus sanguinolentus.

Personally I prefer to think of a pretty bird by a pretty name and

A’oy^-Finches certainly do not seem as sweet to me by their other

and scientific name!


Now, when I first came to Japan, I had earnestly resolved

to resist all temptation in the form of live birds—for full well did

I know what trouble they meant when travelling from country

to country ! Had I not resisted the superb Ruby-throats and

dear little Suthoras at Shanghai, and again the handsome Blue

Flycatchers and the rare Temminck’s Robins at Nagasaki ? But

these Rose-Finches were more than the heart of an aviculturist

could forego ! I did not even demur when the inn-keeper asked

me a comparatively large figure for them. I was only too well

pleased to think that he would part with them at all.


Well, having completed the first part of the bargain I next

had to consider the question of food. Being away from any town

and in the wilds of the mountains, it was essential that I should

buy some seeds for the birds there and then, while the opportu¬

nity offered. I, therefore, again negotiated with the ridiculously-

polite inn-keeper—and by the twinkle in his eye I believe the

old fellow again had the best of the deal!


From that moment the two Rose-Finches never left us.

In their flimsy bamboo-cage, that had once hung on a tea-house

in the far away Niklco mountain, they travelled with us to many

places in Japan—then they crossed to Vladivostock. From Via-



