Three ri/feJiae. 197 



T must qualify tli«^ alvovo 1>\- sl.itin^- fliaf fliiTf Iiavo boon a 

 fair supply on tlio inarkct (Imiii','- flic past fwchc inonflis, but 

 juices have ruled lnc:h. 



A description is not r-allod foi- with sufli a frontispiece 

 to i-efer'to, save to sfafc that tlio romalc is diillor, A\-ith tlio 

 scarlet of the head ie|ila<(vl wilh asliy iri-cy; tliroat pale asliy 

 indistinetly harrcd ■\\i1li wliito: no yellow on tlie foi'e-neck and 

 lu-east. and the scalinys or liaii'iny's of the undersurfacc less 

 distinct. The studies for our plate were made from Mr. 

 Howe's specini'^n when (>.\hihito(l at the L.C.B.A. Horticul- 

 tural Hall Show. 



Rkd-fac'ed FiNcn (Pi/feh'a afra). The distinctions be- 

 tween the two species are clearly shown on the plate, and 

 aq-ain description is uncalled for. it Avill suffice to say that the 

 female difTei\s from the male in beinff duller coloured and 

 havini,' no red on the forehead, face, and throat. 



Even less appears to be recorded about this species 

 than the preceding- one. 



The late Herr Wiener possessed four of this species, 

 but although they made themselves at home in his aviaries, 

 constructing a slovenly kind of nest ' in a box, in which they 

 sat for hours during the day, there was no result. They were 

 fed on millet and canary seed and millet in the ear. They 

 were amiable and lived for years quietly with 'Bicheno's 

 Finches. 



There is little doubt Imt that the nesting economy and 

 general characteristics of this species w^ould be similar to 

 r. meJha\ as also should be theii' treatment in cage or aviary. 



Our illustration is from a skin in the Natural History 

 Museum. 



HaHfal: " Loango Coast into Benguela, E. Africa from 

 " Nyassaland to Southern Abyssinia," "Shelley's Birds of 

 Africa." 



I have left questions of nomenclature and synonyms 

 severely alone as the time at my disposal did not permit) 

 my going into the matter, thoi-oughly, but I may return to 

 the subject in a future issue. 



TuK ritTMSox-wixoKD Fix<ir (Pj/teh'a phoenicoptcra) . 



This "beautiful and somewhat uncommon though well 



