454 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
the centre of the belly, and rusty on the flanks ; on the head are six 
dark black-brown stripes, divided by brown stripes, those which 
pass through the eye immaculate, the others dotted with dark-brown. 
Victorin procured this species at the Knysna from September to 
November, and Mr. Rickard says it is very common at- Hast London, 
and he also met with it at Port Elizabeth; thence it extends through- 
out Natal into the Transvaal. Mr. Ayres writes :—‘‘ This Finch is 
not uncommon south of Mangwato, usually in pairs and is also found 
though more sparingly in the Rustenberg and Origstadt districts of 
the Transvaal. During the breeding season when the wonderful 
tail of the cock-bird is fully developed, he will sometimes rise until 
nearly out of sight, when he suddenly descends with much velocity 
and if approached makes off with ease and swiftness.” Mr. Andersson 
remarks that it is “rather a scarce species, much more so than J. 
regia ; it only occurs during the rainy season, and is generally seen 
in pairs or in very small flocks. Its food consists of the seeds of 
grass.” Senor Anchieta has procured it at Caconda and Quillengues. 
Tt is also found distributed over the African continent. With 
regard to its habits in confinement the author published the following 
note in his first edition :—‘ They feed on grass seeds, and are only 
to be found in open grassy country; they rarely perch on trees, 
though a pair in my aviary always roost on the perches, the female 
having taken possession of the highest in the whole cage. The female 
amuses me by the way in which she scratches on the sandy cage- 
bottom. How she does it I cannot tell, her motions are so quick ; 
but she apparently springs forward and spurs backwards, and the 
sand and seed fly in showers at each repetition of the manceuvre. 
I have frequently observed the hovering motion described by 
Mr. Ayres (Ibis., Vol. 2, p. 212), but attributed it to a design of 
the male to take care of his long tail.” It is called by the colonists 
“‘ Koning-Roodebec,” or King of the Red-bills. 
General colour, deep glossy black: this colour covers the crown 
and the back; collar pure white; wings and scapulars the same ; 
lower parts of back and rump white; on the wings a large patch of 
white; ears, side of head, and under parts pure white; but the black 
colour of the back advances on to sides of breast, so as to form a 
half collar, open in front; tail-feathers externally black, internally 
white, this latter colour predominantly on the outermost feathers; 
four middle tail-feathers greatly elongated, two convex and two (one 
. Oo sheet bupcage 
