AIDEMOSYNE. 



287 



/T^I 



Aidemosyne modesta. 



PLAIN-COLOURED FINCH. 

 Amadina modesta, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 183G, p. 105 ; i<L, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. Ill , pi. 85 (1848). 

 Aidemosyne modesta, Gould, Handbk. Bds Austr., Vol. I., p. 414 (18G.5) ; Sharpe, Oat. Bds. Brit. 

 Mus., Vol. XIII., p. 368 (1890). 

 Adult male — General colour above brown, (he rump feathers irith a ivhite cross-bar aitd tip ; 

 the upper tail-coverts slightly darker, with similar markings, but more spot-like in character ; upper 

 wing-coverts like the back, and having a ivhite spot at their tips; quills brown, the apical portion of the 

 secondaries externally edged with white, the innermost with a ivhite bar at the tips of their outer webs; 

 tail blackish, the outer feathers with a spot of white at the tip ; fore part of head dark claret-red; 

 lores black ; ear-coverts white, barred with broivn; cheeks white with only slight indications of brown 

 cross-bars or tips; a rounded oval spot on the chin and upper throat apparently black, but when held in 

 sunlight it is similar to the fore part of the head, claret red, but of a darker shade; remainder of the 

 under surface white, transversely barred with pale brown; centre of the breast, abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts white ; bill black, grey at sides; legs and feet fleshy- brown ; iris, broivnish-black. Total 

 length in the flesh 1^-G inches, wing 2-33, tail 2, bill O-Jf, tarsus 0-6-i. 



Adult female — Similar in plumage to the male, but ivith less claret-red o)i the forehead, the tips 

 of the feathers on the sides of the latter white, forming a line extending from the centre of the base of the 

 upper mandible over the eye; chin and upper throat dull whitish, vnthout any dark s^wt. Wing 21 inches. 

 Distribution — Queensland, New South Wales. 



JiE Plain-coloured Finch, or the more appropri- 

 ately named " Plum-head " of Sydney bird 

 dealers, is an inhabitant of the southern portion of 

 Queensland and the northern half of New South Wales. 

 From the former State there are specimens in the 

 Australian Museum collection, obtained as far north as 

 Port Denison by the late Mr. J. Rainbird in November, 

 1865; also, from the same locality, procured by Mr. 

 George Masters in 1867; and the late Mr. George 

 Barnard sent specimens for identification from Coomoo- 

 boolaroo, Duaringa, on the Dawson River. In Northern 



New South Wales, in November, 1897, I found it 

 plain'-colouued finch. . ... 



frequenting, in company with Stidopteva biclienovu, large 



open expanses near the :Mehi River, covered with " Roley-Poley " bushes and Salt bush, and 



studded here and there with Wilga trees. Later on I observed it feeding in company with 



Taniopygia castanotis, in the luxuriant grasses and herbage near the Gwydir River, specimens 



being obtained in both localities. Although doubtless breeding at the time of my visit, I did 



not succeed in finding its nest. Gould observed it fartlier south, on the Namoi River, and on 



the Liverpool Plains. Mr. R. Grant obtained specimens on Buckiinguy Station, near Warren, 



in Western New South Wales, and Mr. E. H. Lane informs me that he has on several occasions 



found it breeding in coarse tussocky grass, known as " Black-grass seed," also in " Swampy grass," 



on Wambangalang Station, about nineteen miles from Dubbo. Large numbers of these birds 



are trapped annually, but I am informed that those one sees in Sydney bird dealer's shops are 



all sent by way of Southern Queensland ports. Dr. Arthur G. Butler, in his " Foreign Finches 



in Captivity," '- calls this species the Cherry Finch, and remarks : " it is a charming and perfectly 



hardy little bird, capable of standing severe winters in an unhealed aviary." 



* Foreign Finches, p. 207 (1894-6.) 



