Ncsiiitg Nutcs on the Y clloiv-billcd Cardinal. 167 
tlie 23rcl I finally separated it from the parents, and the improve- 
ment continued slowly until at the lime of writing, nth July, 
I think I can say with confidence that it has entirely recovered 
and is out of all danger, bar accidents. The old birds commenced 
to reline the old nest on the 24th June, and the first egg was 
laid on the ist July. They are now steadily incubating another 
clutch of three eggs, which, if all goes well, are due to hatch 
on the 13th inst. Below 1 append a few notes on these birds 
in tabloid form. The general description of adult plumage i^ 
taken from Butler's Foreign Finches in Capivity, page 68. 
Description of riitiiiai^e : " This bird has the head, including the 
chin, vivid carmine, tlie throat black, extending to a point on either side 
of the cheeks, where (in life) it disappears behind the red feathering and 
tapering almost to a point on the breast ; general colour above slaty-black ; 
feathers of the nape white at their bases ; rump slightly mottled with grey 
and with the lateral plumes white-tipped ; wing-coverts, quills and tail 
feathers black, the inner web of outer tail feathers narrowly fringed at end 
with white ; sides of neck pure white, tapering almost to nape and continu- 
ous with the white of the under-surface, which, as in other species, is 
slightly tinged with grey as are the sides and flanks, the latter mottled with 
dusky bars: thighs white in front, black behind, beak bright ochreous- 
vellovv: legs flesh pink; iris fiery chestnut." And he adds: "Female 
like male." 
So it is, yet I can nevertheless readily distinguish between 
my two birds. In my birds the hen is slightly smaller and 
slimmer; the white of the underparts is moreover of a much 
purer white in the cock. Whether or no, however, these are 
fixed sexual distinctions I cannot say. 
Immature pluniage. When first hatched sparsely covered 
with black down. 
On leaving the nest. Roughly as follows: Above 
greyish, feathers of back tipped light brown, head rich greyish 
brown, sides of head rufous, throat same colour, but of a paler 
tint, really a sort of fawn colour, which extends slightly on to 
the breast; sides of neck pure white, tapering to the nape, where 
it merges into the greyish-brown of the back ; wing-coverts and 
tail-feathers black; feet li.ght brown; bill: upper mandible 
blackish-brown, lower mandible light horn-colour; the thighs 
show no trace, so far as I can see, of the black of the adult, and 
no trace either of any black on the throat, this colour being 
replaced by the light fawn colour described above. 
