96 
Avicultitra! Experiences. 
Oct. 22nd. Two more brown ones are dead this morning, the 
secondary wing'-coverts of both are broadly tipped with buff. 
Oct. 23rd. Two black and wlr'te and one brown dead this morning, 
f do not think they are able to husk seed properly so I have soaked to-day's 
supply. 
Oct. 24th. One brown one de.id this morning. The others seem to 
have improved a little since they have had the soaked seed. 
Oct. 26th. They continue to die, 1 think they must have got " Bird 
Fever." 
N'ov. 2nd. Only ih of them are left, but I think most of them will live. 
Xov. 5lli. Sent one of each kind to Mr.. Page on Nov. 2nd. There 
are still t\\e'\e of them left, but vvc shall probably lose more of them. 
Xov. 9th. Only f) left : they are in the greenhouse, and the hot water 
pil)es are on when the temjierature falls below 55 degrees. 
Nov. i6th. The remaining six are quite livelv in the greenhouse, ana 
T think we shall save them ; there remain four black and white and two 
brown. 
Dec. 3rd. \Ve are now left with three, all l)lack ;ind white ones. 
Jan. 2nd, igoc). One died on Dec. 31st. 
Jan. 23rd. It has now turned cut that these finches are not Lineated 
Finches at all as I first supposed, but Spcnuopliila parva. So many of the 
black and white species of this genus are almost alike that Mr. Page made 
a mistake in identifying the two rather rough plumaged specimens that 1 
sent him. The Ij.M. Catalogue states that the hen of S. parva has two buft 
wing-bars, so in all probability the brown ones were really hens. All that 
remain of the 32 received are two cocks, and Mr. Sutcliffe, who now has 
them, thinks that these will die. 
lune I4lh, 1909. Four arrived by the John yesterday, apparently a 
m.'ile and three females in fair condition. 
|une 17th. These four appear to be going the same way as the others; 
one of the hens is very shaky tliis morning. In desperation I put them into 
outdoor aviarv, and later picked up the cock and one of the hens almost dead, 
and caged them. They were both dead by evening. This species seems 
to be too delicate to import by a sailing vessel. Perhaps if they came by 
steamer a few might survive. 
Tune 19th. Another one died yesterday ; the remaining one has an 
injured wing. 
June 2ist. The survivor is lively enough — just the one I thought 
would die first. Although her wing seems to be badly injured she gets 
about with ease. 
June 24th. The remaining one was moping about yesterday, and this 
morning it is worse. I don't think it will survive the day. 
June 25th. The last Parva Finch died to-day. 
