274 PL0CK1D,«. 



When resident at Point Cloates, North-western Australia, IVIr. Tom Carter sent me the 

 following note: — "I saw several Painted Finches (Emhlcma pida). The crop of one I shot was 

 full of grass seeds, with two bits of blades of green grass." 



Mr. G. A. Keartland sends me the following notes: — " I found the Painted Finch (Emhlema 

 piiia) at many of the waterholes on Missionary Plain, Central Australia, and have since 

 received skins from Alice Springs, but in North-western Australia they were only seen at 

 Johanna Springs, Derby, and off the coast near Broome, where they settled on the rigging 

 of the steamer "Australind." Nests of this species found in the gorges of McMinn's Range and 

 Stokes' Pass, were placed in low bushes, built of dried grass, dome shaped and lined with feathers. 

 The eggs are white with a tendency to a bluish tinge like those of T. castanotis. They are the 

 most timid of all the Finches and difficult of approach. I think it is utterly impossible to say 

 what the sex of a bird of this species is without dissection. At least that is my experience after 

 skinning and opening over thirty birds, the colour varying with age." 



On the loth !May, 1900, Mr. C. Ernest Cowle, of Illamurta, Central Australia, wrote Mr. 

 Keartland as follows: — '^ Emhlema pida has been busy building a nest in the tomato plants in 

 the garden during the past few days. Although an egg was laid late yesterday, there was a second 

 one by sunrise this morning. The birds are still carrying material to the nest, which is dome- 

 shaped with a small entrance in the side. It is chiefly formed of dried melon vines and lined 

 with a little grass and wool beaten down." Writing again on the 5th June, Mr. Cowle remarks: — 

 "Emhlema pida is still sittting all right in the garden. I think there are four young ones, but 

 they look just a pink mass as yet. I used to examine the nest just before dusk and at sunrise so 

 as to disturb the birds as little as possible. After the first egg was laid, each morning there was 

 one more than the previous night, until four eggs were laid, the period of incubation took exactly 

 fourteen days. When the young were hatched the male apparently sat more than the female. 

 The weather was very cold and the birds occupied the nest at night during the building. The 

 nest is about two feet from the ground. I have frequently found them before in low bushes and 

 in Porcupine Grass." On the 31st July, Mr. Cowle writes: — "The cat secured the young of 

 Emhlema pida when a few days old and spoilt my chance of getting them when nicely fledged." 



The following information has been extracted from notes made by Mr. F. Lawson Whitlock, 

 while collecting on behalf of Mr. H. L. White of Belltrees, Scone, New South Wales, in the 

 neighbourhood of the Coongan and De Grey Rivers, in North-western Australia: — "I first met 

 with Emhlema pida at the crossing of Gorge Creek, where a few haunted the rocky hills adjacent 

 to the creek. Like other Finches, this species must have water and comes down the rocks with 

 great regularity to drink. It appears to be gregarious at all times, even in the breeding season, 

 I met with flocks of a dozen or more. Possibly these may have been non-breeding males, for 

 this sex is more in evidence than the female in this species. When crouching amongst the 

 spinifex the Painted Finch is very difficult to see, the brown colour of the upper parts harmonising 

 so well with the ferruginous soil. I found one nest on the 12th May, 190S, and a day or two 

 later another pair collecting building material. The nest is a rather bulky and loosely made 

 dome-shaped structure, formed of dead pieces of spinifex with a lining of brown vegetable down, 

 and often with a further bed of white vegetable down. The nest is invariably built in a tuft of 

 "buck" spinifex and usually near the top of the tuft. They may be found near the river, amongst 

 the ranges, or again on the big flats, provided water is near at hand. The eggs are commonly 

 three in number, but no doubt sometimes four are laid. They are pure white, small and fragile. 

 The female is a close sitter, and the plumage on the breast is usually dull black with a few dirty 

 grey margins to the feathers, but very old females have a streak of the fiery-red down the centre 

 of the breast. The adult males vary much in intensity of colour, very old birds being the most 

 brilliantly coloured." 



