494 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



tlie elongated tail-feather, which is about four inches in length, the 

 bird measures nearly six inches. The nesting habits of this species 

 resemble those of the Bla<k-throated Finch. 



Tlic late Mr. Bowycr-Bower procured a line scries of the elegant 

 Long-tailed Grass Finches, while collecting in North-west Australia. 

 and September and the three following months constitute the breeding 

 season. In the same region, when with the Calvert E.'spedition, 

 Mr. Keartland writes : — " This Finch was seen for the first time by 

 our party near the Fitzroy River as wc approached Derby, and at the 

 wells which supply the latter place with water. The birds are verj' 

 tame, and easily caught by simply covering the troughs and placing a 

 dish of water under a frame covered with cheese-cloth.' 



406.—PoEi'HiLA ci.N'CTA, Gould.— (264) 

 BLACK-THROATED GRASS FINCH. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii., pi. 93. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiii., p. 376. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Ramsay: Proc. Linn. See, N.S. 

 Wales, vol. i., 2nd ser., p. 1147 (1886); Campbell: Victorian 

 Naturalist— Read 14th December, 18S5— (1886). 



Geographical Di-itrihution. — Queensland and New South Wales. 



Nest. — ^Bulky, bottle-shaped ; composed of grasses, lined with 

 feathers, and placed according to circumstances in a sapling, Pandanus 

 tree or in tall grass. 



Eggs. — Clutch, five to nine, but usually five or six ; long oval in 

 shape ; texture of shell fine ; surface without gloss ; colour, white. 

 Dimensions in inches : (1) '72 x -48, (2) -Tl x -47 ; of three examples ex 

 a clutch of seven : (1) '64 x -5, (2) -6 x -51, (3) -6 x -5. 



Ohservations. — The Black-throated, or, as it was fonnerly called, 

 the Banded Grass Finch, frequents Queensland and a portion of New 

 South Wales, where Gould procured the bird. Some later authorities 

 do not include New South Wales as a habitat of this Finch. 



This Grass Finch is a chestnut-coloured bird, with a silvery-grey 

 head and conspicuous black throat. A black band surrounds the lower 

 part of the body, hence the somewhat far-fetched vernacular title, 

 Banded Finch. I think the name " Black-throated " of the trappers is 

 more acceptable, and at once distinguishes the bird from the other 

 varieties. Tlie short tail is also black, in striking contrast with the 

 upper and under tail coverts, which are pure white ; bill black, eyes 

 brownish, and feet flesh-coloured. Total length 4i inches. 



Tlie nest of this chubby little bird I had the pleasure of taking in 

 Queensland, at that station now so well known to naturalists, namely, 



