GRASSFINCHES. 



101 



CHAPTER XIII. 



GRASSFINCHES AND MANNIKINS 



{Miiiniiia). 

 The Grassfinclies and more typical Maimikiiis are 

 practically one s,TOup, dilfering sHshtly m colouring. 

 Those birds are as a rule stouter and more clumsy in 

 outline than the WaxbilU; when dancing they depress 

 rather than raise the beak, puff out the feathers of abdo- 

 men and Hanks, and raise themselves up and down with 

 lateral twistings— a kind of dance in which the feet <to 

 not leave the perch -ami most of them sing weakly, a 

 sibilant, almost inaudible, sound being produced, or a 

 vibrant humming, with a few weak sounds like the 

 creaking of a boot with a thin high whistle at the 

 end of it. The Silverbills, the Java Sparrow, and the 

 Chestnut breasted Finch sing better than the others, 

 their songs being perfectly audible and not unpleasing, 

 whilst the Mask.'.l Finch," Zebra and Bicheno's Finches 

 utter little toy-trumpet notes, the Parson Finch a short, 

 mellow little" flute-like strophe. These last-menticmed 

 birds also se*m to make less preparation for their song, 

 merely pulHng up the feathers of the head and throat, 

 and Ixibbing the head up and down. Some of the Grass- 

 finches, as well as the Green Amaduvade, drink after 

 the maJiner of pigeons, sucking up the water and swal- 

 lowing it without elevating the beak. 



Grassfinches. 



Crimson Finch* {Xeochmia p/iartoii). 



Its general hue is crim.son, brightest on the base of 

 the forehead, sides of face, upper tail-coverts and flanks ; 

 the lower back and primaries are brown, the crovvn and 

 nape dull brown, the fonner dark in front ; the sides of 

 the breast spotted with white, the centre of body below 

 black; under wing-coverts and inner webs of flights 

 below yellowish ; beak carmine, broadly whitish at 

 ba.se ; feet reddish ; iris brown. 



The female is paler than the male, the back greyer, 

 the throat and chest greyish brown, the flanks more 

 freely spotted, breast and abdomen buff whitish. 



Inhabits the moist meadows of Northern Austr.Tlia. 



In a -wild state this bird forms a flask-shaped nest in 

 Pandaiiu)! trees or adjacent shrubs, or even among the 

 stronger grass stems. The eggs number from four to 

 five, and are white. 



In Germany this bird is called the " Australian 

 Amaranth" and the "Sun Astrild." It has such a 

 bad reputation as an almost invariable murderer of 

 other small birds that I have never cared to add it 

 to my collection. It is. indeed, a showy little species, 

 though I much prefer many of the commoner and 

 cheai>er kinds, and it always commands far too high a 

 price when one considers its malicious disposition. It 

 is also undoubtedly very sensitive to cold. It has been 

 bred in captivity. 



P.^RROT Finch (Ertjthrura pxUlarra). 



Male with the bead (excepting the back of the crown), 

 the throat, rump, and closed tail vivid scarlet, and the 

 remainder of the body brilliant grass-green; the flight 

 feathers are dull brown, with greenish or yellow edges; 

 the tail feathers, when open, are seen to be blackish, 

 with crimson borders ; beak, brownish black ; feet, 



* The name " Australian yire-flnch" is misleadin^r, because this 

 species is certainly not a Watbill though perhaps m^re nearly 

 related to the Estritdina; than any other existing Qrasslincti. 



smoky brown ; iris, dark brown. Female duller, the red 

 on throat and forehead rather less extensive and the 

 feet paler. Hab., New Caledonia. 



I liave not come across any notes on the wild life of 

 this bird, but it has be<!n 'freely bred in cajitivity in 

 Germany by Lieut. Hauth, in Fnince by Mr. Savage, in 

 Kngland" by the late Mr. Wiener, Mr. Phillipps, Mr. St. 

 Quintin, aiid Mr. D. Seth-Smith. Its favourite nesting- 

 receptacle appears to 1h' a straw hat. with a round liolc 

 cut near the back of the crown, and the rim lacked to 

 tlie aviary-wall. In a snuggery of this kind Mr. Seth- 

 Smilh bred the species year after year without the least 

 trouble. 



Mr. Filmer says that the Parrot Finch has no song, 

 but Lieutenant llauth speaks of an utterance which 

 c>ertainly represents the song of other bird.s — a loud 

 prolonged Ischre, followed by a trill resembling the 

 winding up of a watch. 



As regards its food, Mr. Seth-Smith says: — "White 

 millet and canaryseed form the staple food of the Parrot 



Crimson Finch. 



Finch in captivity, but it is decidedly fond of insects of 

 various kinds, and insect food should be frequently given 

 in some form. Green food, such as flowering grass and 

 chickweed, should be freely supplied in the sununer, but 

 the latter must be given with extreme caution during 

 the winter mcmths." Coming from New Caledonia, the 

 price of the Parrot Finch is always high, usually from 

 two to three pounds for a pair. I was offered a beauti- 

 ful pair for £2 some years ago, hut I h.id just lost a pair 

 of small birds for which I had given that price, and 

 had promised myself that I would not repeat the 

 extravagance. 



Thrke-coloured P.\rrot Finch {Eri/l!irura trichroa). 

 Above grass-green, rather paler at back of crown and 

 sides of neck; bastard-wing and primary-coverts 

 blackish; flights, excepting inner secondaries (which are 

 green) dark brown, with green edges; rump, upper tail- 

 coverts and central tail-feathers dull crimson ; other tail- 

 feathers blackish crimson on outer webs; forehead and 



