THE ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL
S p o i - c c g r i i f / i H S m c l p o d u s , ViBILl,.
» p H I S Waxbill is a nati\'e of West Africa, its range extending from Senegambia
to Angola. It is one of the most frequeutl_v imported species, is verj.- clieap
and unfortunately, like most of the African Astrilds, is nervous and delicate.
. T h e 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-co-i-erts 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; ej-elid white; sides of neck and under surface pearl gre}',
slightly brownish and «dth a few orange-fringed feathers on the abdomen, whicli
is also somewhat lighter in the centre ; flight feathers below scarcelv paler than
above; length 3.-; inches. Beak crimson; legs horn-brown; iris-pale brown. The
female is paler in all the bright patches.
5. m c l p o d u s is one of the smallest of the African Waxbills and is a great
ornament to an aviarj-; but unless a winter temperature of quite 60 degiet.s 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 which die very quickly in a'moderately' warm indoor aviary, will
sui-\'ive for a considerably longer period in an airy and quite cold one. No" doubt
thé 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 very low temperature, but are speedily killed by fog, or se^'eral successive
days of hard frost. However, for those who cannot command a high temperature
and who yet wish 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 M G E - C H E E K E D WAXBILL.
Z B B E A WAXBILL .Î.
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