THE COMMON AFRICAN WAXBILL.
Estriida cinerea, ViElLL.
n n H E African Waxbill inliabits Seneganibia to t i e River Niger, across to Northeastern
and Equatorial Africa, and sontliwards to tie Tanganyika district.
Tlie general colour above is deep greyish brown, the tail dark brown, the under
parts pale bro^vl^ish ; the cheeks and chiù whitish ; the breast washed with rose-colour ;
the centre of the abdomen is occupied by a diffused rose-red streak; the sides of the
face aud the chin are whitish ; the beak and a streak from the beak through the eye
to the ear are deep coral red ; the whole of the feathers in both sexes are transversely
barred with blackish or brown lines ; the female has less rose-red ou the under parts
than the male, but othenvise is very similar. Length 4 inches. Legs flesh-brown;
iris brown
Dr. Riiss calls this " The Grej' Astrild " and says that it is frequently and iu great
numbers obtainable in the Bird-market, not onlj' regarded by amateurs with great
affection, but also treasured b}? the dealers. Enduring, little delicate, it hardly ever
comes into the trade badly feathered, is beautifully if not exactly splendidly coloured,
is graceful in its manners and uncommonly livel}-.
Singularl}' enough of the mau}- examples which I have at various times possessed
of this pretty little bird, not one has lived with me for any great length of time :
indeed I do not believe auy of mj' specimens of E. cinerea ever lived longer than a
year. One year a pair constructed a ver}' beautiful and almost perpendicularly oval
nest in a bush in mj' Bird-room, forming the outside entirely of haj' neatly plaited
together : the hen sat iuside and passed the ends of the bents through to the cock
which clung on outside and passed them back to her ; the entrance was at the front,
circular ; the lining so far as I could discover also consisted of finer hay, but there
may have been other materials mixed with it : three or four eggs were laid, but not
hatched, the other Waxbills being too much interested in the proceedings to give the
parents much peace when sitting.
Dr. Russ sa)-s :—" If not allowed to nest, the Grey Astrild is easy to keep iu the
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