Parrot Finches. 
bird, and some time later gave one pair to a friend, wliich 
left me with two cocks and threo hens. 
All these, including the pair I gave away, arc still 
alive and Very fit indeed, at least all except one hen, wliich 
escaped three months ago, and was never seen again. 
Of course, I may have been lucky, but I do think it 
advisable to start with the idea that your birds are ailing, 
keep them warm and doctor them accordingly. 
I may say, that when spring came round they were 
put into the aviary, and from then onwards scarcely any 
paddy rice was eaten, so little in fact that I gave uj) supjily- 
ing it: they did quite well without, and were amongst the 
most conspicuous birds in the aviary, and generally on view, 
which is more than can be said for the Common Parrot-Finch. 
I incline to the belief that there are two kinds of 
Pintail Parrot -Finches for this reason. I had two certain 
hens, both had moulted with me, in one the upper tail coverts 
were bright red, and in the other a sort of dull yellow-orange 
colour, and again, if the cock figured in our i)late in October 
issue is correct, as to the extent of the blue, mine were quite 
difl'erent. having the blue right down to the red; I may add 
that I bought one as an adult and one in immature plumage, 
which is that of the female. 
To he continued. 
♦-- 
A Journey Across the Sierras, S. California. 
By Wm. Shoke Baily. 
{Continued from page 370). 
After having descended about 1,000 feet from the 
ridge, where we had taken our lunch, we camped at a Mexican 
rest-house. The canyon here was but little more than one 
hundred yards wide. On the right of the track the mountain 
rose steeply for a thousand feet or more, while on the left it 
dropped twice this distance to the l>ed of a small stream.; 
There was literally no camping ground, so we had to avail 
ourselves of the Mexican's barn, and camp there. When l)uying 
bread I noticed two nests of the Red -headed Linnet in the 
creeper round the house, and I also heard a Robin singing, 
close to it. We wjre aroused early the next morning by the 
