Grassfnches. 25 



very clear and audible at some distance from the aviary. 



I have said their plumage is brilliant or pretty, but beauty 

 is after all a matter of taste, and perhaps I had better sort them 

 out a little to define my statement. 



Brilliant. Parrot Finch, clad in rich g'rass-g'reen and 

 -.-.carlet; Gouldian Finch, painted in nearly all the colours of the 

 rainbow: Pin-tail Parrot-Finch, clad in rich green, scarlet, blue, 

 and yellow, very beautifully harmonised: Painted Finch, with its 

 contrasty garment of brown, black, scarlet and white; Diamond 

 Finch, brown black, carmine — scarlet and white, a beautiful 

 arrangement. 



Beautifltl and Prettv. T have used the word pretty, 

 but it is a misnomer applied to the beautiful soft harmony of 

 most of the following: Parson. Long-tailed, Rufous-tailed, 

 Bicheno's. Chestnut-breasted, and Pectoral Finches. Pretty 

 applies more to such birds as the Zebra. Ribbon, Red-headed, 

 and Cherrv Finch: the Masked and White-eared Grassfinches; 

 and the Silverbills. 



They all construct spherical nests, with a hole at the 

 front, all of which have a family likeness, though varying a 

 little in size and neatness of finish. However, as regards 

 Grassfinches' nests, finish is a matter of degree, for when one 

 comes to examine what appears like a loose ball of rubbish the 

 art and skill of the little builder is at once apparent, and one 

 iudges that much of the looseness and rubishy appearance of 

 some of their nests is often merely a device for protecture 

 purposes. 



Their eggs too are similar, white or creamy-white in 

 colour, and unmarked varying only in size. 



The bulk of the species are natives of various parts of 

 Australia or adjacent islands, and bear comparison well with 

 the beautiful Parrots, Pories, and other Orders common to that 

 region. 



Food. This too, is similar — canary, white, and Indian 

 millet ,and millet in the ear, with greenfood will form the staple 

 diet of the whole group. A little paddy rice should be offered, 

 and one or tw^o of the species take a few oats too. Soaked 



