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members has recently quoted " Hope for the best and expect the 

 worst" as the motto of the aviculturist, but I should like to alter 

 this a little, as follows : — Hope for the best and accept failure, if 

 it comes, merely as a stepping stone to future success. 



However, I had the pleasure of observing these birds for 

 a period of about four months ; they were confined in a large cage 

 in my outdoor bird-room, their demeanour under these conditions 

 being exactly similar to that of Gouldian Finches. The male 

 Painted Finch when going through his dance and uttering his 

 love song, which is accompanied by the swelling out of the breast, 

 neck and head plumage, brings out the brilliant scarlet areas to 

 their fullest extent ; the plumage is an arrangement of sharp con- 

 trasts, which the courting movements of the male exhibit to the 

 fullest advantage. 



When they had been in my possession about a month I 

 placed a square nest box near the top of one corner of the cage ; 

 it was a hollow cube about 6" square, with a wire netting bottom, 

 and the top quite open, with an oval hole in the front for en- 

 trance ; into this they carried quite a large quantity of hay, 

 constructing a well-woven dome-shaped nest, building it with 

 fine hay, green grass, and such feathers as found their way into 

 the cage, but the untimely death of the hen occurred before any 

 eggs were laid. 



The drawing from which the beautiful plate, forming the 

 frontispiece of this issue is reproduced, was made when my birds 

 were looking their best and my hopes were highest; however I 

 should say the $ was very fit all the time he was in my possession 

 and never caused me any anxiety. I also wish to bear testimony 

 to the accuracy and faithfulness of Mr. Goodchild's drawing in 

 every respect, and the result certainly surpasses any coloured 

 figure I have yet seen of this species. It almost appears a super- 

 fluity to give a description with such a plate, but as our associates 

 only get uncoloured plates, a general indication of the plumage 

 must be given to make these notes complete. 



Description. Adzdt male: Upper surface pale nutmeg 

 brown, darkest on the nape and mantle ; lower back and upper 

 tail coverts rich scarlet; tail feathers blackish-brown, lightly 

 tinged with scarlet on the margins; lores, eye region, front of 



