The Orange-cheeked Waxbill. 133 



The top of the head is dark grey, the back, wings, and 

 tail reddish brown, and the rump and upper tail coverts bright 

 red. Under and round the eye is a patch of orange, whence 

 the name of the bird in English, German, and Prench. The 

 chin is very light grey, almost white, the neck a little darker 

 than the chin, and the breast and belly darker still; the beak 

 is red, and the legs and feet bluish grey. 



The Orange-cheek is a very active and lively little bird, 

 but very shy: it is continually on the move, spreading its 

 tan from side to side, and jlitting restlessly from bough to 

 bough in the aviary; the song is very trifling, and scarcely 

 ever heard, except in the spring for a short time. 



The female is, perhaps, a trifle greyer than her mate) but 

 it is almost impossible to distinguish between the sexes: the 

 best plan is to buy a number of these pretty little creatures, 

 on the chance of there been some females among them, and 

 there need be no fear of the unmated members of the party 

 causing any disturbance, for they are extremely peaceable little 

 things, and utterly incapable of fomenting a quarrel, much 

 less getting up a fight. 



1 have not succeeded in getting these birds to breed; but 

 other amateurs have been more fortunate, and I think it 

 would not be difficult to rear them in a well-warmed con- 

 servatory, where the presence of aphides, of which the Orange- 

 cheek is very fond, could be encouraged. At the same time 

 they will live quite well all the year round in an unheated 

 room; but, like the rest of the Waxbills, they, at that season, 

 spend a great part of their time warmly tucked up in their 

 cozy little nests. 



The chief food of the Orange-cheeked "Waxbill is millet, 

 but canary seed, and soaked bread, or sponge-cake are occa- 

 sionally partaken of; it is also very fond of green food, and 

 of bathing, and has no special disease that I am aware of: 

 the only deaths I have had among these birds having been 

 from egg-biuding in a couple of instsinces, and old age. 



