130 Birds I Have Kept. 



the interior with, feathers, but rarely producing an egg. 



The Spice or Nutmeg Bird, Spermestes punetularia, der 

 Muskatvogel in German, and le Grosbec tachete de Java in 

 French, is found in large numbers in all parts of India, and 

 the islands of the Indian Ocean, whence it is imported in 

 thousands into Europe every year: ten years ago I received 

 a present of about twenty of these birds, brought over by a 

 friend from Aden, and five of them are yet living, apparently 

 in perfect health and vigour; while those of the little party 

 that I have lost, with the exception of three that were acci- 

 dentally poisoned, seemed to have died of old age. They are 

 really very pretty birds, and perfectly harmless in the aviary. 



These birds are frugal feeders, confining themselves almost 

 entirely to white millet, though sometimes they will take a 

 little canary seed by way of a change. They are very fond 

 of pecking grass in flower, loving dearly to hop about through 

 the long stalks: they are also much addicted to bathing, and 

 will dip themselves four or five times a day in fine weather. 



They seem to be quite hardy, for I have always kept mine 

 in an unheated room, where however they had plenty of nest- 

 ing accommodation, to which they usually retire at night. The 

 only trouble I have had with them is from the overgrowth of 

 their claws, which require to be regularly cut, especially if 

 the birds are kept in a cage; but even when flying about a 

 large room, where they necessarily wear them down more or 

 less by hopping about on the gravel, the nails have to be 

 looked to occasionally. 



It was formerly thought that the Spice-bird was the origin 

 of the Japanese Bengali, but Dr. Euss, by a series of careful 

 experiments, has proved that these peculiar birds are descended 

 from a little grey Pinch, called Spermestes acuticauda, which 

 I have never kept. 



Since writing the above I have received a communication 

 from a lady correspondent, to the effect that she has succeeded 

 in breeding these birds in her conservatory. 



