Is the bird known ?



207



and singing his little tinkling song the little couple roosted side hy

side in the evening. A very charming sight.


Bve-the-hye ! the so-called hlack areas of the male are not

black at all. In sunshine they are a true deep blue, and not merely

bluish lights on black ; at any rate on the breast.



IS THE BIRD KNOWN ?


By An Old Australian Birdlover.


Amongst the many treasures which Mr. Ward recently

brought from New Guinea were some little Finches, which, along

with four species of Birds of Paradise, New Guinea Minahs, and

Starlings, I was able to acquire. Looking through such records as

are available to me, I cannot find mention of this particular Finch,

and for this reason propose to give a description of it in the

‘ Avicultural Magazine.’ Those collectors of New Guinea birds,

who have introduced the various species of Birds of Paradise into

England, may also have brought home this pretty and interesting

little Finch ; on the other hand, not being so gorgeous as the New

Guinea birds generally are, it may have been overlooked by them,

and this may be the first time the species has been introduced as

living specimens in captivity. Undoubtedly the bird is a “ nun ;

it certainly has all the characteristics of that species. In the aviary

they are peacefid and keep to themselves ; they love to balance

themselves to and fro on the slender shoots of the small bamboo,

off which they strip the tiny leaves, probably because the juice

contains a good deal of sugar. Mr. Ward tells me that he has seen

them in flocks between a dozen and a thousand. They would enter

the cages of his Birds of Paradise and be duly killed by them.

They inhabit the flat grass country not far from the coast, living on

the grass seeds. They nest in small trees on the edge of the scrub

not more than twenty yards from the clearing. Mr. Ward tells me

that this is the only Finch plentiful in British New Guinea, though

he says he knows of another very gorgeous one, which is scarlet

with large white spots at the sides, the size of the Australian



