804 



THE X ATinXAT, (;Ff)( ;R APHIC MAGAZIXF, 



JAZZ TUNES INSPIRE A CANARY 



CHORUS 



Edwin L. Wisherd 



Rhythms hot from Tin Pan Alle\' set the pace for vocal outpourings of the dozens of canaries 

 kept by a resident of Washington, D. C in a one-room apartment. While a canary inherits the 

 general character of its notes, it responds readily with lusty song to the music of man>' kinds of 

 instruments. Fox trots, waltzes, tangos, and even popular "swing" tunes played on the phonograph, 

 encourage the birds to greater (and better accented) efforts, according to this experimenter. 



which is not entirely certain. However, as 

 they show plainly in scanty light they may be 

 of help in directing the parents toward the open 

 mouths of the young in feeding. 



As Gouldian finches live in nature in a mild 

 climate, they are delicate in captivity and need 

 protection from drafts and cold. In England 

 they become acclimated so that they live out- 

 doors in summer and under these conditions 

 breed freely. It is difficult, however, to accus- 

 tom them to any degree of cold. 



Nuns (Miinias) 



The group of weavers known to dealers and 

 aviculturists as "nuns" or "mannikins" com- 

 prises a hardy lot of species of small size with 

 sturdy bodies, short tails, and strong, heavy 

 bills. Ornithologists often call them "munias," 

 Miiiiia being the generic name applied to them 

 in science. 



Despite their small size, the birds of this 

 group are sometimes shot by natives for food. 

 For a nest they weave a rounded ball of grass 

 with a concealed opening, hard to find, in the 

 upper end. The various kinds are abundant in 

 captivity and are easily handled. Four of the 

 munias regularly kept as pets are shown in 

 Color Plate VIl': 



The white-headed nun f Miitiia innja ) is 



found native in the Alalay Pcnin.sula, Sumatra, 

 Java, Nias, and Bali. Marked by the pure- 

 white head that gives it its name, it has two 

 shades of brown on the breast and sides, and 

 the central undersurface is black. 



The black-headed nun (Miniia atricapilla) . 

 with coal-black head and deeper colors 

 throughout, ranges from India and western 

 China to the East Indian islands as far as 

 Celebes and the Philippines. Several geo- 

 graphic varieties are found, distinguished by 

 slight differences of size and color. 



The brown-breasted nun (Miniia castaneo- 

 thorax) comes from northern tropical Austra- 

 lia, and the three-colored nun ( Miiiiia malacca) 

 from India. All feed on seeds, sometimes at- 

 tacking the rice crops. There are several other 

 related kinds that mav be found in ax'iaries. 



Bi 



Nun 



The bronze nun, or bronze mannikin (Sper- 

 iiiestes cuciillatus ) , is a smaller species than 

 its associates of the same general name, but 

 has the same chunkx- form and heavy bill 

 (Color Plate VID. 



From its native home in Africa it has been 

 taken abundanth' into captivity, and though 

 not a showy bird it is one that is common in 

 aviaries and cages. Male and female are col- 



