92



Mr. W. E. Teschemaker,



one group, stoutish, more or less heavy-looking and broad-billed

birds which, when singing, always depress their heads, open the

beak wide (unless holding a straw in it) ; and, with few exceptions,

utter barely audible songs. The Waxbills (. Estrildince ) are usually

more slender, with narrower more conical beaks ; which (when

the bird sings to his mate) are directed straight upwards towards

the sky ; even if the bird is almost destitute of song its notes are

clear. In plumage many of the Waxbills reproduce the general

colouring of certain Grass-finches.


Phylogeny suggested by habits.


Spermophila.


Phonipcira. Melopyrrha.


Munia, &c.



ViduincB.


Poephila, & c.



Estrilda, &c. Ploceince.


Very likely this is all nonsense, like most phylogenetic

schemes for accounting for what we are all profoundly ignorant

of, but it will at least serve to indicate the groups of weaving

Finches, and call attention to certain interesting similarities of

plumage which seem to indicate relationship.



THE COMMON ACCENTOR.


(Accentor modularis ).


By W. E. Teschemaker.


I have often wondered why so very few of our Society’s

Medals have been awarded for breeding British Birds. In the

November number may be found a list of thirty-five medals and

only two of these relate to British species and of these two, one

(the Pine Grosbeak) is but very seldom seen in this country.

Is it that our English birds are harder to breed or that, on the

ovine ignotum pro viagnifico principle, we regard foreigners as

more desirable ? I notice with regret that some modern works

on aviculture have laid it down as a kind of axiom that foreign

birds in a state of captivity are tamer and more interesting than

British species.



