THE



169



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series .— Vol. VI.—No. 6. —All rights reserved. APRIL, 1915.



THE RED-HEADED BULLFINCH.


Pyrrhula erytlirocepliala.


By Hubert D. Astley.


Not until 1914 was this very handsome Himalayan Bullfinch

imported alive into Europe, when Mr. David Ezra sent over a few

pairs to his brother Mr. A. Ezra from India, a male and female

being most kindly given to me.


Most unfortunately, after keeping them in splendid condition

all last summer and through the winter, I lost the hen bird in a tragic

manner. Bather stupidly I had in my bird room a Pigmy Owl

from Yucatan, scarcely larger than the bullfinches, whose cage hung

in a corner on a wall, the bars being anything but wide apart, and

there the little imp of a bird had been for months ; glaring, it is true,

at the other occupants of the room, but never being able to harm

them, or at any rate so I thought, until one day to my horror and

dismay I found the headless body of the female Bed-headed Bullfinch

lying on the floor beneath the Pigmy Owl’s cage, the little wretch

glaring more ferociously than ever because he felt cheated at having

in his stomach only the head !


The poor bullfinch must have clung for a moment to the wires

and been promptly seized, although how the owlet managed to pull

the bird’s head through, and only its head, was puzzling. I felt like

treating that owl in the same way. It was all so unnecessary, for

the vile creature had sparrows and mice to his heart’s, or rather his

stomach’s content.


It certainly is disgusting when a thing like this happens which

could have been avoided. Of course the stable door was locked after



