mm
A/ricafi Fire-Finch. 123
I
A F R I C A N FIRE-FINCH.
Lagonosticta minima, ViEILI,,
inhabitant of West Africa froxn Seneganibia to the Niger. The general
colour above rosy crimson, the back somewhat broMmer; the lower back and
upper tail-coverts bright crimson; wing-coverts brown edged with cri,nson ; flight
feathers bro.™ ; ta.l feathers black, the onter webs washed with crimson; enSre
head, throat and breast rosy crimson, fading into yellowish brown on the abdomen •
ome small whate spots on the sides of the breast ; remainder of under parts brown
the u„der tad coverts .ddte at base ; flights below smoky brown. Length inches!
Beak cnnison, legs dark flesh-colonr : eye-ring yellow; iris brown
^ The female above is dark bro.^oi, with the lower back and upper tail-coverts
of body yellowish brown, clearer on the abdomen, with white spots on the side of
the breast; wing brown, tail black. Length 34 inches
calls Zwergblutfink " or Pigmy Blood-Finch
" I t usually assembles in little families, frequently mingled with Steel-Finches
more especia ly m towns and villages. Like the house-sparrow, it does not seem
to take kmd y to straw huts, but we have often noticed it in villages of tents It
L r t : ; : d ; "" breeding-pmmage in July and\ugust. The!
nes? TV I ^^s artistic little
nest. This IS placed under rafters of roofs, in holes in avails and in erevices of
window corbels; a great untidy heap of straw forms the foundation for the little
flattish depression of the nest, which is eonstrueted of horsehair, feathers, <.rasses
wool &c. The number of the pure white obtusely oval eggs, which from thei;
transparency sliow a rosy tinge, varies from three to seven "
the ' T - ' bold little creatures, which confidently invade
n mb " t , d- l l i n g - r o oms , in order to obtain a few breadcxumbs.
The call-note consists of a sharp chirp, the song is similar, though not
devoid of melody. I rarelj' noticed this little bird by day on trees or shrubs;
they prefer to remain on the ground, in draining ditclies, on dung-heaps or places
where the kitchen-refuse lies, also on walls, roofs and windows, and they are very
unwilling to leave situations to which they have taken a fancy, so long as men
reside in the neighbourhood."
" Hartmann observed whole clouds of the Pigmy Blood-Finch on the Blue
Nile in May. I only met with this species in any unusual numbers in one locality
in the town of Dongolah. There one discovers a tolerably extensive garden, consisting
mostly of Lemon-trees. In the shelter and shade of the latter place the
Blood-Finches are accustomed, and especially at midsummer, to assemble to take
their night's repose. With lively and shrill piping and chirping thej' meet towards
sundown and pass a good time in noise before they go to rest."
This is probably the most sensitive to cold of all the African Waxbills ; indeed
I found one night in an aviary, with a temperature of 50 degrees, destroyed it.
I believe, however, that in a breeding-cage of about two feet cubic measure and
with a box warmly lined with hay and moss to which it might retire at pleasure,
this little bird might be acclimatized as readily as its relatives in other genera of
Waxbills. Even the apparently hardy Tits and Wren of our own country are
totalty unable to resist cold, unless provided with a night shelter.
When acclimatized the African Fire-Finch is tolerably hardy and will live for
years in a moderately warm temperature; and if anything approaching its natural
climate can be provided, there is not the least difficulty in breeding it, either in
a large nest-box, German Canary-Cage, or a bush.
Dr. Russ- calls this the " Little Amaranth," or " Little Red Astrild." He
sajrs ;—" This Ornamental Finch must be reckoned amongst the most beautiful of
all foreign birds."
" Vieillot has alreadjr successfully reared the Amaranth, called by him Petit
Senegale rouge. Indeed not one of all the Astrilds nests so easily as this. The
nest most charmingly neat, concealed in the most dissimilar contrivances ; Hartz
cages with little baskets; abroad, nests which have not been used are taken possession
of, covered nest-boxes, holes of any kind, also open nest-baskets, if concealed
under overhanging shrubbery; the nest is never placed openly in a bush. It is
built on a groundwork of rather coarse stalks and dead leaves or green-food, of
soft long strips of paper, bast and other threads, horsehair, Agave-fibres, hay stems,
&c., sometimes fresh asparagus-sprays, with the cup of cotton wool, short soft hair,
hay, feathers, shreds and the like, always differing according to its position, at the
same time artistic and spherical, with a lateral small and neatly rounded, but
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