Foreign Finches in Captivity.
desire towards it increases, and they take up their position on tlie ver}^ tree it is
in, and finally a particular branch near the oven, commanding a good view of the
entrance, is chosen for a permanent resting-place. Here they spend a great portion
of their time in song, twitterings and loving dalliance, and if attentively observed,
thej- are seen with ejres ever fixed on the coveted abode. As the need for a
receptacle for the eggs becomes more urgent thej' grow bolder, and in the absence
of the o\vners flit about the oven, alight on it, and even enter it. The Oven-bird
appears to drive them off with screams of indignation, but the moment he retires
they are about it again, and even when it contains eggs or young birds, begin
impudently carrying in feathers, straws, and other materials for a nest, as if they
were already in undisputed possession. At this stage the Tree-Martins fProgne
iaperaj perhaps appear to complicate matters; and even if these last comers do not
succeed in ousting the Oven-birds, they are sure to seize the oven when it becomes
vacant, and the Sparrows, in spite of their earlier claim, are left out in the cold.
But tliej? do not take their defeat quietly, or rather, they do not know when they are
beaten, but still remain to harrass their fellow-pirates, just as they did the Ovenbirds
before, bringing straws and feathers in their beaks, and when forced to drop
these materials, and chased from the neighbourhood with great noise and furji- hy
the Tree-Martins, it is only to return undaunted in a few minutes, bringing more
straws and feathers."* Arg. Orn., i, p. 67.
The eggs, five in number, are said to be thickly spotted with deep chocolatebrown.
Dr. Russ says that the Saffron Finch will either build "in a box, or, if it
has the chance, in a Weaver-bird's nest, or that of any other pair of birds. The
nest is negligently formed of bast, strips of paper, agave-fibre, and fine shavings,
and thinly lined with animal or vegetable wool. The hatch variable, though
common. Eggs white, spotted like those of a Sparrow. Time of incubation, fourteen
days." "At least three broods yearly; the first, in a heated bird-room, already in
Februarj'. Nests also at a lower temperature successfully; is exceedingly fruitful
(20-24 young). Breeding profitable. First bred by Dr. Max Schmidt, of Frankfort,
on Maine; since then by many." "Breeds in spacious cages, or in a birdroom
occupied by Weavers, Parrots, etc."
I found that the nests built by my birds in boxes were piled up above the
* Contrary to tlie above liabit of Sycalis pclzelni, our I-Iouse-Sparrow, wlieu out in tlie open countrj', u.sually
builds a huge purse-shaped nest for itself, in the branches of a tree; sometimes, though Ies.s frequently, it builds
in a hollow tree like the Tree-Sparrow: there is therefore no excuse for itsing the trivia] title of "Sparrow" for
birds not nearly related to Passer. A.G.B.
The Saffron Finch. 25
openino- almost to the wooden top, leaving onlj' just room for the birds to slip in
and out- they were strongly-formed saucer-shaped nests, on a massive foundation
of all kinds of materials-straw, hair, roots, feathers, moss, aloe-fil^re, etc.-and
were not domed or overarched in any way: to all intents and purposes they were
typical Finch nests. ,
" Although Sycalis takes possession of domed nests, it does not follow that it
ever so far departs from the usual habits of its allies as to construct one, though
some writers have asserted that it does so. If this is the case, it serves still more
clearly to separate it from the Sparrows, which, as I have already pointed out, leave
the top of the nest open, though, at times, the opening is not placed exactly over
the centre.
As regards the danger of keeping Saffron Finches with smaller and weaker
birds. Dr. Russ observes—"As these birds, not simply b}' the restlessness of their
pursuit, but also by other kinds of disturbances, molest all the rest, it is easy to
judge 4hat enormous danger they occasion in the bird-room. Also, without cause,
they make a convenience of the nests of other birds; then, though the}' have not
themselves taken any steps towards nest building, but have merely wandered about
in a desultory manner with building material, such as thin straws, they nevertheless,
b}' their impetuous behaviour, disturb many sitting birds and scare them from
their nests. Also in addition they proved themselves very malicious towards their
smaller associates, since they first seized a Tiger Finch (Amaduvade) by the tail,
and left him sprawling; then dragged up a little Magpie* fSpermestesJ by the wing
out of its nest, or fell upon another unsuspecting little Ornamental Finch, sunning
itself at the window, with grievous blows of the beak. These provocations may
have given great pleasure to the Brazilians, but to the tiny victims they were in
every respect less of a joke, and I was obliged to put an end to the matter in
this way, that I took away the peace-disturbers and shut them up in a dwellingroom
with a pair of Red Cardinals. Yet even these birds, though altogether very
contentious and nearly double as large, which I moreover had banished from the
bird-room on account of their unsuitability, were not rarely attacked at the foodbasket
by the male, and were obliged to leave the field clear to his impetuosity."
Knowing already, from experience, the tendency of this species to bully its
weaker associates, I made up my mind when niy bird-room aviaries were constructed
' to keep Saffron Finches only with birds well able to protect themselves, the only
apparent exceptions which I have made to this rule are represented by the intro-
• Probably with ¡special reference to the Pied Mannikin: though Russ tells us that the species of Spermestes
(in its wider signiiication) are so called by dealers in Germany.