. Foreign birds for cage and aviary . defined, as also is the streakingof the crown ; but the differences arc not very obvious until the birds are taken one in each hand and com-pared side by side. Habitat. Northern Territory , Queensland, and New South Wales. The Chestnut-breast breeds in extensive grass andreed beds, bordering the banks of lagoons and rivers;its nest is large and tlask-shaped, the neck of theflask (which is in front), represented by the ; it is placed near the top of a bushy shrub orin tangle, and is fonned of grasses and leaves of reeds,intermix
. Foreign birds for cage and aviary . defined, as also is the streakingof the crown ; but the differences arc not very obvious until the birds are taken one in each hand and com-pared side by side. Habitat. Northern Territory , Queensland, and New South Wales. The Chestnut-breast breeds in extensive grass andreed beds, bordering the banks of lagoons and rivers;its nest is large and tlask-shaped, the neck of theflask (which is in front), represented by the ; it is placed near the top of a bushy shrub orin tangle, and is fonned of grasses and leaves of reeds,intermixed ■with fine stems of gardenia or lobelia; thelining consists of the feathery tops of reeds, flags, andsometimes a few feathers. Four to five white eggsare de|)Osited. Although this Mannikin is always ready to sing anddance to its hen, and even interrujits the breeding ofother species by carrying hay into their nests, I havenever been successful in getting it seriously to takeup housekeeping. Its song is a little louder than that. Hybrid Grassfinch. of others of the more typical !Mannikins— Whit, u-hil,■whit, whit; wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wec-wcc-ivec,—tweeo,twee-ur. This Mannikin formerly fetched rather a high price ;but of late years it has become somewhat more reason-able. I have at various times had nine examples, andhave found the species quite hardy and fairly long-lived when once acclimatised. Mr. Abrahams sent me some years ago a very roughcoloured .sketch, with description, of a hybrid Finchbred by ilr. Herbert Bagnall, of Cheltenham. writes:—The accompanying rough .sketch isof a hybrid between a cock Chestnut Finch and henIndian Silver-bill. It was bred in my aviary lastsummer, the nest being made in a cigar-box. Untilal)out two months ago the bird was chiefly of a darkbrown hue, with a brown tail; it has now become verybeautiful, as most of the body is finely pencilled withbrown stripes, and the tail has become reddish orange,and very pointed. The b
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidforeignbirds, bookyear1910
