"^Vll flights 5\c5<irvc6. ^ovambcr, 1922 



BIRD NOTES: 



— THE — 

 JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB 



Quail Finches, (Ortygospiza polyzona). 

 Bv Capt. Ci. E. Rattigax, F.Z.S. 



So far as 1 am aware there has been no instance of the 

 successful breeding" of Quail h'inches since they were bred for 

 the first time on record by that extremely clever aviculturist, 

 Mr. Reginald i'hillipps. At all events, no record ot such an 

 event, if it occurred, appears to have been published. A very 

 delightful account of Air. Phillipps' success appears, from his 

 pen. in tne Avicultural Magazine of May 1908. Third Series, 

 \'^ol. I., page 2)7- to wliich I would refer my readers. Aly own 

 experience with these charming" little birds differed in some 

 respects from that of .Mr. Phi]]ii)s. llie Ouail Finch is unlike 

 most of the mannikins, in which family it is, rather unhappily. 

 T think, included. (Note. — 1 say unhappily because it certainly 

 does not resemble the mannikins either in appearance or habits, 

 and it is anything l)ut dull and lethargic, all of which terms 

 have been applied with some justice to the other species of 

 mannikins. Nor do I know of any other mannikin possessing 

 a red bill). The sexes are easily distinguished. A rough 

 description of the plumage is : — Cock : Brown above, outer tail 

 feathers edged with white; throat and cheeks black; a large 

 vvdiite spot on chin; a broad white orbital ring; below greyish, 

 barred black and \\'hite and passing to chestnut on lower breast. 

 Beak red; feet brown ; irides hazel. Female : Altogether duller; 

 breast and sides barred brown and white, and it lacks the black 

 on cheeks and throat. 



FIELD NOTES. 



Habitat. — From Abyssinia to Eastern Cape Colony and 

 on the west from Senegal to Angola. JVild Life. — Shelley, 

 m Birds of Africa, quotes Stark as follows: — "These pretty 

 little birds are usually met with in small flocks on open, grassy 



