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T H E PIN-TAILED NONPAREIL.
Ervthnif'a prasina, SPARRM.
J N H A B I T S Southern Tenasserini, through the Malayan Peninsular to Sumatra,
Java and Borneo. It is occasionally imported in some numbers ; but unfortunately
mail}- examples arrive in a weak and unhealtli}' condition, and, in spite
of e\'er\- care, quickl}- die.
In colouring, this bird somewhat resembles the American Nonpareil Bunting
and on account of this similarit}' in the disposition of its colours has also been
called a "Nonpareil."
The adult male has the greater part of the upper surface, including the wingcoverts
and inner secondaries bright sap-green ; the upper tail-coverts vermilion,
pale olive at the base of the feathers; central tail feathers dull crimson, washed
Avith vermilion at the edges, and with black shafts continued for some distance
beyond the webs ; remaining feathers smokj^-brown; flight-feathers, excepting the
inner secondaries blackish edged with green; forehead, ear-coverts, cheeks, chin,
throat and fore chest dull cobalt-blue, gradually changing on the breast, through
bronze-green and golden bronze into bright rosy scarlet, which colour occupies
the whole central part of the lower boclj-; lores and feathers at base of beak
smok3'-black ; remainder of under surface golden brown, paler on under tail-coverts;
flight feathers below slat3--grey ; tail-feathers ashy-grey. Length 5-i inches. Beak
black, legs flesh-coloured; iris brown.
The hen chiefly differs in its duller hues, in the absence of the blue colouring
(excepting in old examples, in which it is indicated) and of the rosy scarlet on
the under surface of the body ; the two central tail feathers are also shorter; but
lengthen somewhat with age.
Dr. Rnss thus speaks of this species :—" Very beautiful ; therefore it is the
more to be deplored, that it is still always very rare in the trade. I saw the
flrst two in 1858 at old Bewig's in Berlin, who had received them from Lintz of
Hamburg. Later, one -was sometimes able to obtain the species from the Zoolog-
Thc Pin-tailed A^onparcil. 171
ical Gai'den of Cologne on the Rhine; now it is occasional!}' imported by the
large dealers ; Abrahams of London once received as many as fort}' pairs. Lateljbrought
into the market b}' Bosz of Cologne in considerable numbers, in faultless
vigorous pairs."
" Call-note a shrill tsit ; song almost inaudible, with violent movement of the
throat and beak, frequently however also a marvellous short chirping. Love-sport
\-ery comical. Female utters a fine mouse-like squeaking. Satisfactorilj- bred first
by Bargheer of Basle in 1882. Ahst with wide cavit}', narrow entrance hole and thick
in the walls. Brood variable. Young plumage: Blue-green ; flights soft darkbrown
; abdomen dull ash-grey; breast somewhat darker with olive-green shading;
upper tail-coverts red-brown ; upper mandible shining black ; lower mandible golden
yello\\' (became coloured black within three weeks after flight) the tail feathers
which were at first short and symmetrically truncated grew to their full length in
about eight clays after flight. Innocent and peaceable. Whereas it was formerlj'
believed that this species would not live in confinement, Mr. Wiener had a pair
nine 3'ears. Lieut. Hauth, who in the course of time was in possession of sixteen
head and in 1886 reared them with success, has stated, it has a difficulty in bearing
the double yearlj- moult; nevertheless the male of the breeding pair mentioned
by Mr. Bargheer moulted well for five years. Altogether more easy to keep than
several allied species, it needs however, in addition to millet and canarv-seed, raw
nnhusked rice."
A pair of this beautiful little bird was given to me, about the year 1889, by
the Hon. Walter de Rothschild. I turned them into my small-finch aviary in the
Bird-room and supplied them with paddy rice, spray-millet, grass in the ear,
grass-seed and egg-food in addition to the white millet and canar)- previously'
given regularh' to the inhabitants of that aviar}'; there was also in one corner a
large patch of fresh turf for them to pick over: but within about three weeks
both were dead; the liver and spleen being affected with tubercle and the bowels
inflamed. Thej' were therefore diseased when I received them, and no
amount of care would have been at all likel}' to restore them to health. When
we look at the condition in which some of the newly imported delicate Finches
are kept by man)' of the smaller dealers, it is no marvel that thej' not only become
diseased, but communicate maladies to one another. If these men, instead of
leaving accumulations of filth in the cages and even flinging the seed upon the
top of the same, would only take a lesson from Mr. Abrahams and keep their
birds clean; they would find that they would not only lose far fewer birds, but
(and this they would consider vastly more important) far fewer patrons.
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