hirds 01! flic IJ'rsfciii Front. 
233 
plentiful in its native haunts it has not been a conuuon occupant 
of Enj^'lish aviaries. I have only possessed one pair, which 
successfully reared a brood in my Mitcham aviary, and proved 
perfectly amiable amont^' a mixed series of small and largish 
hard — and soft-bills- 
Spick Finch (Miiiiia piinctiilata ) . This bird belongs to 
the Mannikin group, but is not dull or lethargic in a roomy 
garden aviary. Though not of bright colouration (mostly 
nutmeg-brown) it is attractive, its plumag^e being contrasty 
and pleasing. In July issue there is a black and white illustra- 
tion of this s])ecies from a drawing by Mrs. A. M. Cook, 
accompanied by an article from my pen, to which, for further 
details. I must refer my readers (-iidr page 149 of current vol.) 
(To he coiithm^d . ) 
C>»^> 
Bird Life on the Western Front. 
By Lt. riF.r^.M.i:) E. Rattican. 
I ha\-e not much of interest in the avicultural line to 
report from hVance. The following, however, is a list of birds 
no^ed in the actual front trenches and may prove of interest : 
BIRD.S ACTUALLY SEEN. 
Starlixc.s : I take these first, because they are by far 
the most noticeable, being numerically far in excess of any other 
snecies, in the late auttmTU and winter at all events. 
The flocks increase in extent all through the late summer 
and autumn, and appear to reach their maximum numbers 
about the end of October, wdien huge flocks are constantly to 
be seen in and around " No Man's Land." 
Heavy shell fire drives them away for a time, but the 
usual morning and evening hymn of hate, which the Bosch 
used to re.gularly treat us to, did not appear to worry either 
them or our other feathered visitors to any extent. 
Swallows & Martins : Three or four of each species, 
two pairs of each I think, to be accurate, used to frequent a 
