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Hypochera ultramarina.



again assumed full plumage I had no difficulty in assuring myself

that it was an Ultramarine Finch or Combasou.


Previous to this I, with many others, had imagined we had

had Ultramarine Combasous, but they were only very fine Common

Combasous ( H. chalybeata ) exhibiting bluish rather than greenish

sheen on their black plumage,


H. ultramarina * stands well away and quite distinct from

the commoner species in having a bright coral red bill and feet,

whereas the bill of the latter, as everyone knows, is silvery white.

My bird assumed absolutely rich black plumage with the brightest

of Prussian blue reflections; in fact, resembled a miniature Chough

built on Finch lines.


When out of colour these birds are browner than Common

Combasous, more distinctly streaked, and in the case of the females

thev were less distinctly marked on the cheek area. In size the

birds are larger and longer in the body than their commoner relative.

The male sang more sw’eetly and repeatedly than males of R. chaly¬

beata that tenanted the same quarters, and flew about a great deal

when at its full season. Selected examples of both species side by side

make a nice contrast, and, as they resemble each other in general

habit, for comparatively plain birds they are equally charming and

hardy.


I noticed that my bird ate white millet in preference to any

other seed, refused canary seed, and seldom touched French or

so-called Indian millet. Spray millet w T as eaten on occasions and

mealworms less so than in the case of the common Combasou. I

kept the bird for about a year, exhibited it successfully on several

occasions, and finally disposed of it to a lady member. I understand

that it is a pretty common bird in its own country, and its range

there extends from the Gold Coast to the Niger, and also to N.

Tropical Africa to about 23 deg. N. lat. Of late years I have seen

many hundreds of birds arrive from Senegal and neighbouring

districts, but among batches of birds in the general trade I have not

seen a single example of the species among the other Combasous.

Unless a glut of such birds came to hand I should never miss the



i. e. the males.



