132 
The Endurance of Birds. 
began to build in a German travelling cage, first covering the 
bottom with tufts of grass, dried chickweed, etc., as a base, and 
then at one end reared a substantial cup-shaped nest of fine hay, 
as circular as if it had been turned in a lathe — about 5in. outside 
diameter by 2y2\n. inside and quite 2y2\n. deep — tlie hen being 
scarcely visible while sitting. She sat closely on four eggs from 
September 4th to 22nd and then gave up, so I cannot record 
a'jtual success. 
Food : Canary and white millet with flowering grasses, 
groundsel, grit, etc-, with a few ants' cocoons and a littK- soft 
iood as a change, which with a bath daily will keep them in a 
perfect state of health. When they have young a branch cov- 
ered with aphides will be much appreciated and help greatly 
toward the successful rearing of the young. 
It would thus appear that in violence of courtship and 
separation of sexes (for even if caged together, they simplv will 
have nothing to do one with the other, excepting during the 
breeding" season) they resemble our Chaffinch. 
I must also charge them with egg eating, as the afore- 
mentioned eggs disappeared, and it was impossible for mice to 
get into their aviary, though 1 did not catch them acto flagranto. 
Hybrids have been produced with the Canary and its Grey 
coated relative. 
They are enduring, the male has a sweet and fairly sus- 
tained song; their movements among the branches are active 
and interesting, and even with more than the disadvantages 
enumerated above, are worth a place in every birdroom, where 
they will be a source of pleasure and interest to their owner. 
Since the above was written I have successfully bred this 
species on two occasions, and have successfully crossed ir with 
5". leucopygiiis on several occasions. The main obstacle to suc- 
cess is the difficulty of picking out true pairs. 
Corrigenda. — On page iii, line 8, from bottom, for 
" 10 in.," read 10 feet. 
(To be continued.) 
