CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS. 
Ill 
has a bright red beak, and a stripe of the same colour passes 
between the eyes, the rest of the pkimage is brown and 
gray, the former more or less tinged with red, and the hitter 
having a pecuHarly soft and silky appearance, from being 
traversed by fine blackish wavy lines ^ the tail is wedge 
shttped. The colours of these birds vary greatly in different 
individuals ; in some there is an intermixture of yellow, 
some have white spots, and some again have been observed 
with a strong tinge of blue about the neck and throat. The 
vvaxbills are natives of the Canary Isles, Madeira, Senegal,» 
: the Cape of Good Hope, and India, from whence they are 
frequently brought to Europe ; they are gentle and engaging'^ 
little creatures, exceedingly affectionate one to another, living 
harmoniously together, several pairs in a single cage. The 
I best food for them is millet. They must be kept tolerably 
warm. 
THE AMANDA VA. 
This is a truly beautiful little bird, not more than four 
inches in length ; it is brought to Europe from Bengal, 
Java, Malacca, and other parts of Asia ; its beak is a rich 
crimson, and all the head and underparts of the body bright 
red ; the feathers on the back are gray, but with so wide a 
margin of red, that here, also, this seems to be the prevailing 
colour. Most of the larger feathers, such as those on the 
wing coverts, the tail, &c., are tipped with white, so that the 
bird appears distinctly spotted. The female is about a third 
less than the male ; she has but little of the fiery red about 
her plumage, and the under part of her body is a pale sul- 
phur colour; sometimes, also, this is the case with the 
male, so that the size is perhaps the best criterion of 
J the sex. 
These are very social birds*, and a number of them may be 
kept together in one cage ; they will perch in a row, and,. 
Bechstein says, sing in succession ; their song, which lasts 
throughout the year, is soft and agreeable, like that of the 
willow wren. They are active lively birds, and will live 
from six to ten years in confinement; they should be fed 
upon inillet and canary-seed, of which they require an abun- 
dant supply, as well as plenty of water. 
