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T H E ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL
Sporccginf/nis me/podns, ViElLL.
W'axbill is a native of West Africa, its range extending from Senegambia
to Angola. It is one of the most freqnentl)- imported species, is very clieap
and unfortunately, like most of the African Astrilds, is nervous and delicate.
The general colour of the adult male above is copper brown, the wing-coverts
similar, but the flight feathers slaty, excepting along the edge of the outer webs ;
upper tail-coverts bright crimson; tail-feathers dull black, the outer feathers greyish
near the extremity of the outer web; crown of head and back of cheeks slaty-grey;
entire centre of face occupied by a large orange patch ; feathers at base of itpper
mandible crimson ; eyelid white; sides of neck and under surface pearl grej',
slightly brownish and with a few orange-fringed feathers on the abdomen, which
is also somewhat lighter in the centre ; flight feathers below scarcely paler than
above; length 3 inches. Beak crimson; legs horn-brown; iris-pale brown. The
female is paler in all the bright patches.
5. mdpodns is one of the smallest of the African Waxbills and is a great
oniament to an a\-iar3-; but unless a winter temperature of quite 60 degrees Fahr.
can be ensured, it never lives long in such an enclosure; at anyrate, that has been
my constant experience for many years.
Now, it is a singular fact, with regard to these delicate little finches, that
some of those \vhich die ^^ery quickly in a moderately warm indoor aviary, will
snl-^•i^•e for a considerabl\- longer period in an airy and quite cold one. No donbt
the fresh air invigorates them and the additional exercise which they take, tends
to keep up the circulation. I find, for instance, that the present species, the
Cordon Bleu and the Lavender Finch will live and thrive in an out-door aviary
at a ver}- low temperature, but are speedily killed by fog, or several successive
days of hard frost. However, for those who cannot command a high temperature
and who yet \\'ish their African Waxbills to live for more than eight or nine
months, there is only one plan to be adopted;—
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O R A N - G E - C H E E K E D WAXBILL,, 6 £.
^^/Jcz-ct^atriZ^i ¿¿s m e^caa,^
. ZEBRA WAXBIL L .S.
f^i.o/cii^-tn/Aiio' .
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