68 Order Fafsvri former. Family Prcceidct. Genics Zonoegmthus. 



Order Passeriformes, Family Proceidae, 

 Genus Zonaeginthus. 



Zonaeginthus bellus (Fire- tailed Finch).— Mr. Gregory M. 

 Mathews has made only one suh-sp. of this bird, i.e., Z. heliums 

 ^amueli (Kangaroo Island Fire-tailed Finch), giving New 

 South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia as the 

 habitat of the dominant species, and Kangaroo Island as that 

 of the suhsp. 



Description — Sexes are almost alike in colouration and 

 markings ; under surface, greyish brown, crossed by very nar- 

 row lines of black ; upper surface, brown, crossed by very nar- 

 row bands of black ; a line across the - forehead black ; lores, 

 black; eyelid, black and rump and tail coverts, bright scarlet; 

 vent and undertail coverts, black and often la black spot in 

 centre of abdomen; tail feathers, greyish brown with dark 

 stripes across each feather ; iris, dark brown ; feet, pinkish flesh- 

 colour; bill, crimson. The Kangaroo Island bird is darker 

 in plumage. 



Distribution — Found over the coastal scrub countries of 

 New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, and almost 

 over the whole^of Tasmania. 



Habitat— In this State (South Australia) the Fire-tailed 

 Finch is found in the wetter coastal parts, and as a rule fro- 

 quents scrubby, moist country or, when undergrowth is fairly 

 thick growing, under timber. They are to be met with in the My- 

 ponga and Black Swamp country, and from Kingston to the 

 Victorian border. 



Habits — Move about in small parties till pairing time, 

 when they take up their nesting sight, and move very quietly, 

 and are to be found within a few hundred yards of their nest at 

 any time. Like so many other members of this family, their 

 food consists of the seeds of rushes land grasses, also berries. 



Flight — Not long sustained as one would suppose in 

 scrubby country, strong, yet erratic ; when out in the open it is 

 swift upon the wing. 



Note — Rather low and mournful. 



Nest — Dome-shaped and constructed of dry grass and 

 straw, and usually much larger than those built by other mem- 

 bers of' the family. 



A nest taken at Robe on October 24th, 1918, was built of 

 grass and fine tea tree twigs and lined with the down of 



