40 Order Passerifonnes, Family Ploceidae, (lenus Aegintha. 



A. tonporalU loftyi (Mountain Red browed Finch) — 

 South Australia. 



I )escription— All U])i»er Surface — yellowish olive brown; 

 head, dark slaty grey; under surface, grey, darker on flankS; 

 almost white on throat; centre tail feathers, grey tipped with 

 black, next two feathers almost black, remainder grey; 

 primeries, dark brown, edged with grey; bill, deep red with 

 ridge down centre of both mandibles, black; feet, yellowish 

 ilesli colour; iris red. 



Distribution — Fairly wide, comprising the greater part 

 of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Aus- 

 tralia, 



Habitat — Found in almost any situation, mountains, 

 plains, near the coast, inland for a considerable distance; open 

 and bush country alike. 



Habits — Like other members of the family, this bird is 

 gregarious, moving about in parties of a dozen to a hundred or 

 more; in the open country they obtain much of their food upon 

 the ground, hopping ovei* the low seed-bearing, creeping i)lants 

 in a very quiet and confiding manner. In the bush country 

 they feed u})()n tall grass seeding heads and small berries of 

 shrubs; they ])air off at nesting time. 



Flight — Fairly strong for so small a bird, and they shift 

 consic'erably, accoi-ding to food supply. When moving to 



another distrift, they will rise to a great height, with strong 

 and straight flight. 



Note — Rather weak, but i>leasing, short, plaintive call. 



Nest — The nest is a large pear-shaped structure, with the 

 hole of entrance at the narrow end, leading by a narrow tunnel 

 about three inches long to the nest proper, which is globular. 

 It is very strongly built of fresh grasses, and lined with soft 

 grass tops, and a few feathers, or a little rablnt's fur. It is 

 usually placed within reach of (he hand, but occasionally as 

 high as 14 or 15 feet from the j>round. Favourite nesting sites 

 are the M<}<tJ<'n<-<i bushes, borderinj^ the streams in the hills, 

 and growing in damp j^uJIies. but nests are also to be found in 

 Biin-!(irl<i and Kangaroo thoi-n bushes; usually several nests are 

 found close together. Building begins at the end of October, 

 and continues until January, two bi'oods bein,; often reared. 

 The eggs are from five to eight in number, and pure white in 

 colour, 



