224 



the birds, and when they attempt to rise with the 

 wind they only flap along the ground and are easily 

 knocked over. A Gaucho of my acquaintance one 

 day caught three out of a flock of six in this way ; 

 but a very strong wind favoured him, and the birds 

 were at some distance from the water, and allowed 

 him to come near before making the sudden charge. 

 As a rule they are seen on the water, and when on 

 land they keep very close to the margin." 



" According to Mr. Gibson, who has observed 

 their breeding-habits, they begin to nest in July — ^just 

 after the winter solstice. The nest is always placed 

 among thick rushes growing in deep water, and the 

 Swan invariably swims to and from her nest. It is 

 built up from the bottom of the swamp, sometimes 

 through four or five feet of water, and rises a foot 

 and a half above the surface. The top of the nest 

 measures about two feet across, with a slight hollow 

 for the eggs, which are cream-coloured and have a 

 smooth glossy shell. The number varies from three 

 to five, and on one occasion six were found. Mr. 

 Gibson has seen the parent bird swimming from the 

 nest with the young on her back." 



^be IRcD^bcaDcD Ifiiicb. 



Amadina erythrocephala. 

 By H. R. Fullmer. 



^•T'^jr'CCORDiNG to the classification of the Zoological 

 iHi Society, the genus Amadina includes, besides 

 I--L, the Ribbon Finch and the Red-headed Finch, 

 ^ the Cherry Finch, the Zebra Finch, the 



Diamond Finch, and some others. But the Ornitho- 

 logists of the British Museum restrict the genus to 

 the Ribbon Finch, the Red-headed Finch, and one 



