144 



No. 33. PcEPHiLA ACUTicAUDA (Long-tailed Grass Finch). 



Amadina acuticauda, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1839, p. 143. 



Pcsphila acuticauda, Gould, Bds. Austr., foL, vol. III., pi. 90 

 (1848); Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., vol. I., 2nd series, 

 p. 1,091 (1886); North, Nests and Eggs Austr. Bds. p. 167 

 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., vol. XIII., p. 375 (1890). 



Three adult males, one adult female. Shot in the forest timber 

 near Derby. This species is confined to the Northern and 

 North-western portions of the Continent. Live specimens brought 

 to Sydney by Mr. Burton, who accompanied the late Mr. T. H. 

 Bowyer-Bower on his collecting expedition to North-West Aus- 

 tralia, bred readily in confinement. 



[This Finch was seen for the first time by our par!--y near the 

 Fitzroy River as we approached Derby, and at the wells which 

 supply the latter place with water. The birds are very tame, 

 and easily caught by simply covering the troughs and placing a 

 dish of water under a frame covered with cheese-cloth. Several 

 brought down alive are thriving in captivity]. 



No. 34. Neochmia photon (Crimson Finch). 



Frmgilla phceton, Homb. et. Jacq., Ann. desSci. Nat,, tom. YI., 

 p. 314(1841). 



Estrelda phceton, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., vol. III., pi. 83 

 (1848); Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., vol. I., 2nd series, 

 p. 1,091 (1886). 



Neochmia phceton, ISorth, Nests and Eggs Austr. Bds., p. 388 

 (1889) ; Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., vol. XIIL, p. 389 

 (1890). 



Two adult males, one adult female. Camp about five miles 

 from the junction of the Fitzroy and Margaret Rivers. Similar 

 te examples from Eastern Queensland. 



Six eggs taken from a flask-shaped nest of coarse grasses in 

 March, 1897, are pure white. Length — (A) 0-63 x 0-45 inch, 

 (B) 0-6 X 0-47 inch, (C) 0-6 x 0-5 inch, (D) 0-6 x 0-47 inch, 

 (E) 0-6 X 0-47 inch, (F) 0-67 x 0-45 inch. 



[At each of the homesteads near the junction of the Fitzroy 

 and Margaret Rivers these birds make their appearance during 

 December, and immediately after the rainfall in January 

 commence building their nests. At the Police Camp there were 

 eight pairs of birds, which had located their structures on the 

 plates of the verandah. Others had buried their nests in the 

 reedy thatch of the stable. At Mr. Blyth's Camp they were nesting 

 under the eaves of the thatch, and the birds were so tame as to 

 hop about the ground close to where we sat at breakfast. 

 Although two birds were taken off their eggs and handled, they 



