Thirty-two Years of Aviculture.



249



type : altogether I have had ten examples of the species and the

longest-lived only survived for two and a quarter years. With

Gouldian finches, of which, at different times, I have possessed about

fifteen pairs, I was at first almost equally unfortunate; but later,

owing' perhaps to the greater number imported and the care taken of

them during the journey over, I found these birds far less delicate,

and, when kept out of doors, quite hardy and ready to breed ; but

undoubtedly the strongest birds are those bred here, since a cock

which I bred in 1905 is still in vigorous health as I write.


Of the' Masked Grass finch I have only had a pair ; they used

to pretend to build and sit about in nest-boxes, but they never

definitely settled down : I found them rather uninteresting birds. Of

Long-tailed Grass finches I have had two pairs, of which an example

purchased in 1906 is still alive as I write, I have also had one female

of the form with red beak ; but the most pleasing of the group is the

common Parson finch, an impudent little bird which always reminded

me of our Blue-tit in its actions : of this species I have had about a

dozen pairs. At times this little finch is apt to be aggressive and

even spiteful towards other small associates, but one cannot help

liking it; as previously mentioned, I only once succeeded in breeding

it, but in an indoor aviary-


At fairly long intervals I have had three pairs of the beautiful

Diamond finch : I did not find them very long-lived birds, my last

male however far excelled the other five in longevity. Of the

Rufous-tailed or Star finch I have had seven examples, and the first

pair, for which I paid £2, died within six months; of those purchased

at a much lower price about ten years later, the hens far outlived the

cocks ; they are pretty little things hut not especially interesting. I

must, since the commencement of my avicultural studies, have had

at least a hundred of the common Zebra finch. Not only were these

birds very cheap, but with me they bred freely either as single pairs

in small flight cages or in indoor aviaries, accepting almost any

kind of nesting' receptacle. I turned twenty pairs into the central

division of an ornamental wire-aviary in my conservatory, and even

there several of them went to nest and reared one or two youngsters

upon seed alone.


I have had six of the lovely little Bicheno’s finch and one



