The Waxbills 
Christmas. 
(166) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Waxbills’ Christmas. 
By MRS. HAUTENVILLE COPE. 
It was a typical Christmas frost and 
snow, but custom dictates the spending 
of it in the country, and certainly 
London at the so-called “ festive season ” 
is not desirable, so perforce we had to 
pack up and depart. Nine little Wax- 
bills; rather a mixed collection. Con¬ 
spicuously beautiful were the tiny pair 
of Orange Breast or Zebra Waxbills 
(Estrelda subflava ) bought last May—a 
devoted couple, but never exhibited any 
desire to nest. 
A pair of Firefinches ( Lagonisteca 
brunneiceps), the cock glorious in colour 
when bought in May; his hen, procured, 
or rather kept alive out of several, has 
been with him since September. A 
young cock Firefinch out of colour 
in May, in full beauty since September 
A cock Avadavat, who, judging by his 
colour is about three or four years old, 
was in fine orange-red plumage from 
July to December; now only isolated 
orange feathers left to remind one of his 
past colouring. Two other Avadavats 
sold at the Army and Navy Stores in 
June as a pair of Golden-Breasted Wax- 
bills. Lastly, an Orange Cheek Waxbill, 
bought in September. All these birds 
are tropical. The Firefinches, though 
imported by hundreds, are scarce as cage 
birds, seldom surviving the journey over 
many weeks; hence both delicate and 
unsatisfactory. All these nine birds 
had to brave Christmas in the country. 
A Travelling Bag . 
In the summer I invented and had 
made a special cage to take to pieces for 
travelling; to this I now added a wooden 
back and sides. The birds were trans¬ 
ferred to a small 12 in. by 9 in. German 
wire cage, and warmly wrapped round 
with a thick plushette cover secured with 
cloak straps, were jolted in cab, train, 
and carriage till they reached their 
destination. Out came the cage sec¬ 
tions, out came the zinc tray; soon cue 
edifice was joined together, and once 
more they were in their own cage, par¬ 
titioned into two, I regret to say, 
owing to the vicious temper of old Ruby, 
as I call the cock Firefinch, whose 
spiteful manner to the younger cock 
cause him to deliberately pursue fight 
and swear at the terrified little relation, 
who fain would seek safety in flight, and 
hides away in any convenient corner; 
this animosity only begins with the 
advent of the hen. 
Sleeping Bags , 
I have urged the necessity of sleeping 
places, so I put into practice my “ idea,” 
and with Brown paper and small safety 
pins constructed rapidly some sleeping 
bags such as were described in Cage 
Birds some time last year. I knew that 
in' a big room well provided with doors 
and windows—the latter facing due 
north—that the temperature would fall, 
that the birds in the confined space of 
a cage could not take exercise to keep 
warm, and that they must consequently 
feel the cold. A small thermometer 
hung on the cage told me exactly the 
temperature by day; it registered 47 
degrees. When the fire was lighted about 
5 p.m. and the shutters closed the mer¬ 
cury rose, and in a couple of hours 
registered 60 degrees, sinking before day¬ 
light back to 48 degrees. The birds 
were all in perfect feather, tight, and 
trim. One day the thermometer de¬ 
scended to 45 degrees. Then I noticed 
all the birds were quieter and puffier, es¬ 
pecially the Firefinches. All ate more 
than usual, but being away from home 
had no tit-bits ; only white millet, spray 
millet, and a little Canary seed ana 
poppy. At home they have small seeds 
in variety, ant eggs, and other items to 
vary the menu. As long as the ther¬ 
mometer did not descend below 48 
degrees the birds took their daily bath 
as usual directly the fresh water was put 
