7



finches are identical with Gould’s painted finch (Aegintka picta)

or a variety of the same family? (a)


In conclusion, I may add that I used to find the beautiful

Australian Fire Finch (Aegintka phaeton) also most difficult to

keep until I purchased, one day as an experiment, a lot of sixteen

exceptionally healthy specimens. To these I gave some flower¬

ing wild grass from the roadside; and I had the satisfaction of

seeing this rare and delicate Australian Grassfinch nesting and

hatching a brood in my aviary, which success I also attribute to

having accidentally found the right sort of grass seed.



THE SATIN BOWER-BIRD.


(Pt Honorhynchus violaceus).


By Arthur G. Butter, Ph.D.


Why the Zoological Society has preferred to call this bird

* Silky ’ I do not know ; for the plumage of the male when seen

in a bright light is far more like satin than silk, so that there

seems to be no reason for rejecting the name adopted by Gould.


Dr. Sharpe regards the Bower-birds as a sub-family of the

Timeliidce or Babbling-Thrushes; but in their general aspect,

their somewhat ungainly actions, their love for bright articles,

their nests, the long oval form and heavily blotched character

of their eggs, they seem to show some affinity to the Corvidee.


I purchased a young pair of this species in the green

plumage on September 18th, 1899. Although many examples

have at various times been acquired by our Zoological Society, I

found that a pair, even of tailless young birds, was by no means

to be obtained cheaply ; but, though so many have come under

observation, I discovered that there was still some doubt as to

the manner in which the change from the young to the adult

plumage took place, and the desire to study this point was an

additional incentive to the acquisition of this beautiful species.


In the Museum ‘ Catalogue of Birds ’ we read that the

young male “ resembles the female at first, but is generally to be

distinguished by a few purplish-black feathers appearing on the

head and back, or on the quills. The body plumes appear to be

acquired by a direct moult; but the quills and tail-feathers

become black by a change in the colour of the feather itself.”


(a) Emblemapicta is the true name of the bird : it is figured in my book, and is quite

distinct from the Gouldian finch. I placed it doubtfully among the Waxbills, but it is

probably more nearly related to the Diamond Sparrow.—A.G.B.



