12§ 
A Hctrospcci. 
to tell the tale ! Finally, by purchase and breeding, I found 
that I had a few too many, so decided to get rid of a few, but how 
to sex them I knew not. 
I decided to go to a bird dealer in the city and ask his 
advice; he at once picked out a very fine bird as a cock, and 
finally we had three certain pairs and a few doubtful. Ai that 
point I think it was Mr.Frostick came in, and his advic ' was 
asked; he agreed with the previous decision and wanted to 
purchase the very fine cock which he said was the best he had 
seen. 
I finally agreed, and next morning he was very sorry, as 
the bird was ill. At lunch it laid an egg, and that was the end 
of my breeding pairs. 
I tried to repurchase it but it had already passed oii. A 
year later I saw it again in the aviaries of our fellow mc-mber 
Dr. Lovell-Keays ; it had never bred with him, and, as he said, 
was not well. 
Just before the war I imported a lot, but never suc' ceded 
in breeding them again, but the story of that importation will 
come later. 
One more amusing episode came my way. I had a pair 
which nested often, laid sometimes, but never incubated; at the 
same time I had a few Bengalese, mostly hens I think, and one 
pair (?) sat well on a series of unfertile eggs I decided to put 
a Diamond Sparrow egg under her ; it was a success, and when 
it hatched I began to pat myself on the back. Time passed and 
it grew apace, but (why is there always a but where foieign 
birds are concerned?) just when it was ready to leave the nest 
the Bengalese was inconsiderate enough to die, and of course 
the Diamond Sparrow did the same. 
I never found the Diamond Sparrow a pugnacious species, 
and is one well worth keeping in an aviary. For one thing he 
is always in evidence ; for another, his love dance is too aniusing 
and absurd for words; and finally you can rely on him rrising 
your hopes of young even if it gets no further. 
