The Endurance of Birds. 
2yi 
of a sudden scare. For tlie benetit of new readers we reprint 
Mr. (ioodchild's fine drawing of lliis species. As their finely 
contrasted plumage is so well show n in the drawing, space need 
not be occupied with a description. 
Its habitat is Africa. 
Black-i".\ckd (Juail I-^ix-ch (O. atrlcuUis ) . \'ery similar 
to polyzona, but its plumage is not so strikingly contrasted as 
the preceding species. It was introduced to English aviculture 
by our member, Dr. E. fiopkinson, about six years ago. It 
has not yet been successfully bred in this country so far as I 
know. Its nesting economy and general characteristics are so 
similar in every respect to l^olyzona. that to give them would 
be merely to recapitulate what I have written above. They 
should not be wintered out of doors, but are not really delicate 
when once acclimatised, though losses are rather numerous 
among arrivals of newly imported birds. — I must qualify this 
by stating that the risk of loss is quite an ordinary one when 
importations arrive in the late spring or during the sunmier. 
It is a native of Africa. 
FiREFixcH ( Lagonosticta >)iiiiinia J . This well known 
and freely imported species is at once the most charming and 
disappointing of African finches, except perhaps the Cordon 
Bleu. The losses among purchases of new imported specimens 
is really disheartening, no matter how tightly feathered and well 
looking the birds may be. \'et acclimatised specimens have 
been wintered out of doors, but in our uncertain climate it is 
better to take them into -the indoor birdroom for the winter 
months. They have been fairly freely bred, though manv 
pairs get no further than building a nest (or sleeping quarters), 
but. given an ordinary season, one may reasonably anticipate 
success in a naturally planted garden aviary. 
With careful nursing of new acquisitions the majority 
should be saved, but on arrival they should be given warm, 
(|uiet quarters in the birdroom, a roomy cage for i)reference. 
and be given only chilled water to drink at first. If there is 
any appearance of exhaustion then a little tepid milk and water, 
containing two or tliree drops of brandy, is a good reviver. 
