INSESSORES. 407 



my attention being usiially attracted by the enormous nests 

 whicl] they build among the branches of shrubby trees with- 

 out the shghtest attempt at conceahnent. They are con- 

 structed entirely of grasses and stalks of plants, dome-shaped 

 in form, with a hole near the top for the ingress and egress 

 of the bird. The eggs are five or six in number, rather 

 lengthened in form and of a beautiful flesh-white, eight and a 

 half lines long by six and a half lines broad. It breeds from 

 September to January, during which period two or three 

 broods are reared. Its note is a single mournful sound 

 emitted while perched on the low branches of the trees in the 

 neighbourhood of its feeding-places. 



The sexes present no external difference, and may be thus 

 described : — circle surrounding the eyes, lores, and a line 

 crossing the forehead black ; all the upper surface, wings, 

 and tail olive-brown, crossed by numerous narrow crescentic 

 lines of black ; rump and base of the tail-feathers shining 

 scarlet; all the under surface grey, crossed by numerous 

 narrow crescentic lines of black ; centre of the abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts black ; tips of the primaries and tail-feathers 

 brown without bars ; bill crimson, becoming paler at the base 

 of the upper mandible ; irides very dark brown ; eyelash 

 beautiful light blue ; feet flesh-colour. 



Sp.250. ZON^GINTHUS OCULEUS. 



Red-eared Finch. 



Fringilla oculea, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de PAstrolabe, Zool., part i. 



p. 211 ; Ois., pi. 18. fig. 2. 

 Zonceyintlius oculeus, Cab. Mus, Hein., Theil i. p. 171; note. 

 Jee-ree, Aborigines of the lowland^ and 

 Diver-den-ngool-gnan-neer, Aborigines of the mountain districts of 



Western Australia. 

 Native Sparrow, Colonists of Swan River. 



Estrelda oculea, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iii. pi. 79. 

 This species is abundant in many parts of the colony of 



