INSESSORES. 417 



Sp. 257. STAGONOPLEURA GUTTATA. 

 Spotted-sided Finch. 



Fringilla leucocephala, var., Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. xlviii. 



Loj^ia guttata, Shaw, Mus. Lev., pi. 



Spotted Grosbeak, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pi. 9. 



White-headed Finch, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 210, pi. 132. 



Spotted-sided Grosbeak, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 21-8, pi. 89. 



Fringilla lathami, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 256. 



Amadina guttata. Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 370, 



Amadina, sp. 8. 

 Stagonopleur a guttata, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 172. 



Amadina Lathami, G-ould, Birds of Australia, foL, voL iii. pi. 86. 



I found this species plentiful in South Australia and in 

 every part of New South Wales that I visited ; and it was 

 equally numerous on the Liverpool Plains, the sides of the 

 River Mokai, Namoi, &c. It is a showy attractive species, 

 and passes much of its time on the ground, where it procures 

 its food, which consists of the seeds of various kinds of 

 grasses, &c. 



The nest is frequently built among the large sticks forming 

 the under surface of the nest of the smaller species of Eagles, 

 and that too during the time the Eagle is incubating, both 

 species hatching and rearing their progeny in harmony ; this 

 I have witnessed in several instances, and have taken the eggs 

 of the Eagle and of the Einch at the same time, as mentioned 

 in the following extract from my journal : — " Oct. 23. Found 

 the nest of the Spotted-sided Finch placed under and among 

 the sticks of a Whistling Eagle's {HaUastur'^ sphemirus) nest, 

 in which latter the old bird was then sitting. My black com- 

 panion Natty ascended the tree, a high swamp oak {Casuarifta) 

 on the bank of the Dartbrook, and brought down the eggs of 

 both birds. The little Finches were sitting on the small 

 twigs close to their rapacious but friendly neighbour." At 

 other times the nest of this Finch is placed on the leafy branch 



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