TJie lUacl-faccd Wa.rhilJ. 
109 
llight ol' a gai'den -aviary, wlici-c they avc fascinating indcefl, 
and tluiii- gi'aceful contour, exquisite and chaste colouration 
and luirinony of pkiniage are seen to the best advantage, 
set off by a bacivground of living green. Last suniniei.i 
dui'ing a call on my friend and colleague, Ur. J. f]aston' 
Scott, 1 saw in his roomy, natural garden aviary a pair, which 
held us entranced by their perky, cheery demeanour as they 
flitted to and fro, causing us to exclaim again and again, as 
some play of light revealed some fresh charm of their lovely 
garment. 
I was introduced to yet another pleasing trait, barely 
a mouth ago, during a visit to my friend Dr. Lovell-I\eays, 
it was with surprise that I saw a pair ol this species and 
also Violet -eared Waxbills lly to the hand at once, the desider- 
atum i)eiiig a mealworm : for this dainty they were just as 
ready to come to the hand 'of a .stranger as to that of their 
owner — they occupied with some other 50 to GO Finches and 
AA'axbills a flight in his heated bird-room. 
tSo far they have not nested in English aviaries, though 
there is no reason why they should not do so in the lu^ar 
future, as they do well in tlie ojjen from Spring to late 
Autumn, but should be brought indoors during the Winter 
months. 
On arrival they should be put into reception cages, 
say, about the size of a canary breeding cage, and i)laced in 
a fairly warm room, supplied with food and water, but as 
regards the latter; as soon as they have had a drink, water 
sliould be removed for a time and introduced only at intervals 
for a couple of days, when it suould be safe to leavei it in 
altogether; by similar means do not permit them to over- 
bathe and also give them grit with caution at first. They 
should be given a liberal supply of seed, a millet spray, 
greenfood, and two or three mealworms per bird per diem; 
they should be left quiet and only disturbecl to administer to 
their wants. If all goes well in a few days the cage can be 
hung up in the inner house of the aviary they are to occupy, 
then m another few days (providing weather is suitable) the 
cage door can be left open for them to come out at will. 
There are no more beautiful group of birds than the 
Waxbills and " Small Ornamental Finches," or more interest- 
ing and charming too for that matter— and the rarer species 
