on the breeding of the Tropical Seed-Finch. 41


I had made a tour in an auto amongst the slopes of the

Tujuca, where the beautiful blue Morpho butterflies were playing

amongst the flowering trees.


I had visited the wonderful botanical gardens, where small

Finches and Sugar-birds were flying amongst the wonders of tropical

vegetation, and having about an hour or so before I had to go back

to the ship, I paid a visit to the “ Mercado Central,” where, amongst

vegetables, meat, and every other conceivable thing, I found two

small bird shops.


It is not very easy for a foreigner to buy birds in a “ Mercado

Central ” of a South American town.


Of course they see at once, and if they don’t see it they hear

it, that one is a stranger, and they accordingly think it their duty to

themselves to ask tremendous prices for the most common things—

prices which rival or surpass very often what would be asked in a

bird shop in Europe for those same birds.


Their value is a milreis, and these “ thousands ” of reis multi¬

plied by fancy figures give tremendous numbers of reis ! If, to put

their demands into proper limits, one bids what they think too low a

price, they get offended and are as likely as not to refuse to sell

altogether!


In this way I lost three of the rare Violet-bellied Parrots

(Triclaria cyanogaster), an example of which was owned by Mr.

Astley (our Editor) some years ago, and which I admired very much.

Two of the three birds seemed all right, but number three had a

deformed leg. I asked the price. Many thousands of reis were

wanted. I made a bid and the owner, after having given me a

murderous look, turned round and . . . began to close his shop.


Nothing could be done !


The pair of Oryzoborus torridus fortunately had another

owner, and in addition to other small birds I managed to get them.

The man thought me rather a fool to buy the female, which he told

me could not sing and would be of no use to me.


However, she wandered to the ship with her hushand and the

other acquisitions. The lovely little male, with his shining black

dress and beautiful deep chestnut breast and belly, looked a little

delicate and continued to do so all through the voyage, so that I



