Birdroom Notes. 
'71 
In the breeding' season some males, in spite of their small 
size, become very pni;nacious, and are a nuisance and source of 
continuous disturbance to their fellow captives, sometimes 
worse — harryintj and maltreating biids double their size; other 
individuals are very amiable. 
Rather delicate when first imported, but after a few 
months in this country are hardy and enduring. 
The cock is mainly olive-green: fore-crown slaty; face 
mask black; commencing just above the eyes a band of golden 
vellow extends down the sides of the neck and across the lower 
throat, where it is bordered by a black band which merges into 
the green of the imder parts. The female is similar, but easily 
distinguished from her mate; she has no slaty patch on the fore- 
crown: the yellow band is less intense, and her face mask is 
brown : she also lacks the black border to the yellow band across 
the throat. 
It builds a spherical nest of the typical Weaving Finch 
type, with a circular opening at the front, and in my aviary had 
the habit of fastening leaves over the top during wet weather, 
allowing" them to extend over the entrance, as a sort of porch, 
very efTectively throwing off the rain. 
The young are reared on seed, greenfood and insects. 
Though they need to be kept under close observation till 
their temper is thoroughly well known, they are an acquisition to 
any collection, and form an attractive feature to any aviary. 
Olivf. Ftnxh (Phonipara Icpida). A closely allied 
species, slenderly built and a very graceful bird. 
The general colour is dark olive-green, with a small 
streak of orange above and below the eyes, and a small bib of 
the same colour. 
Similar in demeanour and general characteristics as the 
preceding species and ciuite as ready to go to nest, but a little 
less ready to rear its young, though it is not by any means a 
difficult species to breed. A fairly liberal supply of live insects 
is essential for the successful rearing of the young. 
It is a hardy species, once it has past the first few weeks 
following importation. 
(To be continued). 
