138 
Foreign Birds. 
imects: Mealwi)rnis .ind gentles will have to be tbe mainstay,, 
especially in the winter months, but during the other portion of the. 
year — coc^kvoaches, beetles, plant lice, live ants' cocoons, smooth cater- 
pillars, spiders, aiui almost any form of garden pest, with their larvae 
and pupsp, that are available If you are anywhere near a hedgerow or 
an open common, then a few minutes witli an entomological sweeping 
net in the early morning, will give your birds a rare feast, if they are 
in an aviary it means simply turning out the contents of the net en 
masse leaving the birds to help themselves. 
When kept in cages, these should be roomy and the perches 
(natural brandies for preference) should be of varying thickness — no 
cage for a vivacious Tanager sliould be less than 2ft. long. 
The quality of the diet must be regulated according to the 
demeanour of the birds — our feathered friends must be studied indi- 
viduaJh/ and treated accordingly. It is not the large.it species that calls 
for the largest cage or the most nutritious diet. 
Sub Family i. : PUOCNIATINiE. 
This consists of but one genus with one species and two sub- 
species ; it is questionable if the two latter are distinct, the differences 
being mainly that of size, in which respect the species is very variable. 
T do not think it has, as yet, been imported alive into this country, 
certainly I have never seen a living specimen. I may slightly digress 
here and say, that as we proceed it will be seen what a large number 
of species of the Family Tanagridce yet remain to be introduced to 
English aviculture. 
The Turquoise Tanager (Proenias tersa). This beautiful 
species is very Swallow-like in form -the skin gives some idea of its 
great beauty as will be gathered from the description, but is far 
removed (almost beyond conception) from what the living beauty of 
this feathered gem must be. 
Description {3 ) General body colouring, bright turquoise- 
blue ; wings and tail, black, with nearly the wiiole of the feathers 
edged with turquoise-blue ; forehead, sides of the face and throat, deep 
velvety black ; middle of abdomen and ventral region, pure white ; 
sides of body blue, barred witii black ; bill, black ; legs and feet, dark 
brown. Total length, 6 inches, of which the tail measures barely 2\. 
Female : Differs from the male. Upper surface, rich green ; 
wings and tail, brownish-black, most of the feathers with bright green 
margins ; under surface, green, barred with yellow transversley ; 
middle of abdomen and ventral regions, pale yellow ; throai, greyish 
and speckled ; bill, plumbeous ; legs and feet, dark brown. 
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