INSESSORES. 419 



Sp. 258. T^NIOPYGIA CASTANOTIS, Gould. 



Chestnut-eared Finch. 



Amadina castanotis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part iv. p. 105. 

 Staffonopleura castanotis, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 172. 

 Tteniopygia castanotis, Reich. Sing. Yogel. 



Amadina castanotis, Gonld, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pi. 87. 



This bird appears to be almost peculiar to the interior of 

 Australia ; among other places it inhabits the large plains to 

 the north of the Liverpool range and is particularly abundant 

 about Brezi and the banks of the river Mokai ; but that it 

 sometimes occurs on the southern side of the range is proved 

 by my having killed five specimens on the Upper Hunter. It 

 has also been found, though very sparingly, at Swan River, 

 and a specimen is contained in the collection formed by Mr. 

 Bynoe at Port Essington. It passes much of its time on the 

 ground, and feeds upon the seeds of various kinds of grasses. 

 On the plains it congregates in small flocks, and evinces a 

 decided preference to those spots where the trees are thinly 

 dispersed and grasses abundant. 



The Chestnut-eared Pinch is one of the smallest of the 

 genus yet discovered in Australia; it is also one of the most 

 beautiful, and in the chasteness of its colouring can scarcely 

 be excelled. 



The two sexes differ very considerably in their markings, 

 and may be thus described : — 



The male has the crown of the head, nape, and back 

 brownish grey ; wings brown ; rump white ; upper tail- 

 coverts jet black, each feather having three large and conspi- 

 cuous oval spots of white ; tail-feathers blackish brown, 

 slightly tinged with white at their tips ; cheeks and ear- 

 coverts reddish chestnut, separated from the bill by a narrow 

 transverse line of white, which white line is bounded on each 

 side by a still finer line of black ; throat and chest grey, the 



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