322 On the Nesting of the Rufous-backed Mannikin.


Early in 1907 a small consignment of this species reached

this country and were sold for rather a high figure. I have

since, however, seen it stated that years ago it used to be

regularly imported and sold for a few shillings a pair. There

seems to have been a sort of “ Golden Age” of aviculture when

rare and interesting species could be picked up quite cheaply in

the Loudon bird-shops. It must certainly have been long before

my time for, goodness knows, it is difficult enough now to come

across anything of any interest at a moderate price or indeed at

any price. The Rufous-backed Mannikin appears to be quite

well known to the Kaffir “ boys,” by whom it is called the

“ Zanzibar fret,” to distinguish it from the Bronze Mannikin or

“fret,” and there is no reason why it should not be imported in

numbers.


In 190S I had one male and two females, but for some

obscure reason I had 110 eggs from them. Early this year Mr.

Hamlyn imported over a score, from which I selected another

male, and this summer I have had several nests and altogether

seven young, all of which are now doing well.


The eggs are pure white and as small as those of some

species of Humming-birds. One now in my cabinet measures

*50 by *31. The young when they leave the nest are dull brown

on the back and greyish on the breast, merging into dirty white

on the abdomen, beak almost black. I have before now called

attention in our Magazine to the startling changes of colour that

some of the Mannikins undergo during the three or four weeks

subsequent to leaving the nest, and one could hardly find a

better instance than S. nigriceps. The adult is bright rufous 011

the back, black 011 head and throat, pure white on chest and

abdomen, flank feathers black tipped with white, primaries

speckled with white. It will thus be seen that the young bird

has to accomplish a complete moult or change of colour of every

feather—and this is done in the short space of one month !


I made the following notes of one particular bird:—

July 8. “ Left nest.


,, 19. “Almost white on abdomen and under tail coverts.


,, 24. “ Has all throat black, with clearly marked margin,


and some black feathers 011 crown.



