yS Sonic h'iiiclics I hai'c kept. 



female. — ("iciicral colour arran;^L'iiicnt similar to male, Iml the plum 

 coloured patcli on fore-crown is smaller, and she lacks the black j^orj^et of 

 ihe male. 



Attractive Qualities: It is much more vivacious and 

 lively in its demeanour than its near relative the Silverbill. The 

 beautiful harmony of its quaint, yet sharply contrasted, coloura- 

 tion is perfect. It is quite amiable with the other occupants of any 

 aviary, though quite ready to defend its nest and mate. It is a 

 cheery little bird, constantly uttering- its merry little lay, and is 

 ii- every way an acquisition to the finch aviary. It has, more- 

 over, the advantage of being easy to breed, and the sexes are 

 easy to distinguish, the one drawback being the liability of the 

 hens to take a chill during wet, chilly periods, and consequently 

 d)'ing from inability to pass the egg unless discovered in time. 



Habitat, etc. — It ranges over the wide Bay region, N.S. 

 Wales. Victoria and Southern Australia generally. It builds its 

 nest amid tallish ground herbage or in a low bush, and the clutch 

 usually numbers five white eggs. 



In Captivity. — Here we know this pretty finch under three 

 names, viz : Plum-headed Finch, Modest Grassfinch, and Cherry 

 Finch, but it is under the latter cognomen that it is best known. 

 I have said this species is easy to breed, and so it is; but it is 

 such a nervous little bird, usually leaving" its eg'gs as soon as 

 one enters the aviary, and remaining off till one leaves — the same 

 applies if one passes near it outside the aviary — consequently 

 comparatively few young have been reared by aviculturists in 

 this country; moreover, its liability to egg-binding in damp, 

 chilly weather renders the prospect of successfully rearing" young 

 even more remote. Yet, all the pairs that I have possessed in 

 the course of years, have been eager to go to nest, all built and 

 laid eggs, but only in two instances was complete success 

 attained. 



The episode figured on our frontispiece did not have a 

 happy ending — they nested within a fortnight of arrival, and 

 proved most interesting birds during courtship and the erection 

 o: their home. A very pretty, substantial and picturesque nest 

 't was too; quite the best piece of Aidemosvne work I have 

 seen — they adhered to their wild habits and built their nest in 

 a small Holly-leaved Berberis, eighteen inches only above the 

 ground (this has been mostly the custom with pairs in my aviary. 



