70 A Christmas Present from the Birds



be a veritable paradise for those who enjoy watching and listening to

wild birds.


King Ferdinand is a great scientist and a great lover of nature.

He spends hours sitting in his bird house watching his birds—-studying

their habits, their notes, and their movements. He is equally engrossed

in studying wild birds, butterflies, and flowers, and his garden is a

memory of journeys all over the world, planted with wild flowers

he has brought back from all the ends of the earth. His love of nature

is so great that it is infectious and to talk with him is an inspiration to

any naturalist.



A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM THE BIRDS.

BREEDING RED-FACED WAXBILLS


(Pytella melha)


One of the most welcome and charming Christmas presents I received

this year was from the birds in the form of three of the dearest little

Red-faced Waxbill babies you have ever seen.


I think the Red-faced Waxbill babes are easily the most interesting

and fascinating little things we have had the pleasure to breed. Shy,

though tame and fearless, they are just like miniature bantams about

the aviary. They can’t fly a foot high off the ground, and are led

about the aviary by their mother. They give one the impression

of a unique miniature bantam family, as the whole ensembly marches

past, in “ Indian file ”, with their little necks outstretched and stumpy

tails erect. Ma walks in front, leading her children, and Pa struts

behind in majestic fashion, forming what would appear to be a body¬

guard. Mother protects her children in a most determined manner.

She does not actually fly at you, but she stands in front of her babies

in a threatening attitude, screeching vigorously as you approach, and

defies you to touch them.


Their home is in a two pound jam tin, fastened against the wall

inside of the bird house, about six feet from the ground. Out of this

they come to earth, somehow, every morning. But, unable to fly, as

yet, they cannot get back again, so every evening my wife catches

them up and places them back into the nest.



