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777ì' Magpie Mannikin. 265
1868: it had been supposed to be allied to the Weaver-birds ; but, when he saw
it at once make friends with Bronze Mannikins, he felt satisfied that it must be
an Ornamental Finch. He continues as follows:—
" After a short time Miss Hagenbeck received a large consignment of Giantlittle
Pies, and now they graduall}' took up their abode in all Bird-rooms. They
first went to nest with Mr. Emil Linden, then with Count York of Warteuburg
and in my Bird-room. The bird's mode of life, especially the development of the
brood at once proved quite conclusively, that it was one of the Ornamental Finches.
The pair is always inseparable and the male performs precisely the humming,
hopping love-dance of the Little-pie (Bronze Mannikin). The nest is constructed
in any kind of cavity or even openly in a bush, in the latter case tolerably
skilfully built in a rounded form and with a narrow lateral entrance hole, of bast,
thread and stalks, and lined with blades of grass, as well as little soft rags,
wadding, &c. The laying consists of four to six pure white eggs. The young
plumage above is dull uniform chocolate-brown, below whitish grey-brown; beak
black, feet blackish-brown. The change of colour begins in about the sixth week,
in that the plumage above grows darker and below lighter until finally pure
white. After the first year the feathers of the head first show the metallic gloss
and then also the yellow-brown spot on the sides, which is very gradually
developed (see scientific description) is fully defined. Many pairs nest readily and
productively, others on the contrary, year in, year out, make no attempt at nestbuilding."
The German name " Riesenelsterchen" seems a contradiction, unless the
" chen " be accepted as a diminutive of affection and the name translated " Darling
Giant Magpie " which would be absurd.
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