GEASSFINCHES. 



161 



CHAPTER XIII. 



GRASSFINCHES 'AND MAMVIKINS 



(Muniince). 



The Grassfinches and more typical Mannikins are 

 practically one group, differing slightly in colouring. 

 These birds 'are as a rule stouter and more clumsy in 

 outline than the Waxbills; when dancing they depress 

 rather than raise the beak, puff out the feathers of abdo- 

 men and flanks, and raise themselves up and down with 

 lateral twistings a kind of dance in which the feet do 

 not leave the perch and most of them sing weakly, a 

 sibilant, almost inaudible, sound being produced, or a 

 vibrant humming, with a few weak sounds like the 

 creaking of a boot with a thin, high whistle at the 

 end of it. The Silverbills, the Java Sparrow, and the 

 Chestnut-breasted Finch sing better than the others, 

 their songs being perfectly audible a,nd not unpleasing, 

 whilst the Masked Finch, Zebra and Bicheno's Finches 

 utter little toy-trumpet note, the Parson Finch a short, 

 mellow little flute-like strophe. These last-mentioned 

 birds also seem to make less preparation for their ong, 

 merely puffing up the feathers of the head and throat, 

 and bobbing the head up and down. Some of the Grass- 

 finches, as well as the Green Amaduvade, drink after 

 the manner of pigeons, sucking up the water and swal- 

 lowing it without elevating the beak. 



Grassf inches. 



CRIMSON FINCH* (Neochmia phaeton). 



Its general hue is crimson, 'brightest on the base of 

 the forehead, sides of face, upper tail-coverts and flanks ; 

 the lower back and primaries are brown, the crown and 

 nape dull ibrown, the former dark in front ; the sides of 

 the breast spotted with white, the centre of body below 

 black ; under wing-coverts and inner webs of flights 

 below yellowish ; beak carmine, broadly whitish at 

 base ; feet reddish ; iris brown. 



The female is paler than the male, the back greyer, 

 the throat and chest greyish brown, the flanks more 

 freely spotted, breast and abdomen buff whitish. 

 Inhabit the moist meadows of Northern Australia. 

 In a wild state this bird forms a flask-shaped nest in 

 Pandanus trees or adjacent shrubs, or even among the 

 stronger grass stems. The eggs number from four to 

 five, and are white. 



In Germany this bird is called the " Australian 

 Amaranth " and the " Sun Astrild." It has such a 

 bad reputation as an almost invariable murderer of 

 other smaill birds that I have never cared to add it 

 to my collection. It is, indeed, a showy little species, 

 though I much prefer many of the commoner and 

 cheaper kinds, and it always commands far too high a 

 price when one considers its malicious disposition. It 

 is also undoubtedly very sensitive to cold. It has been 

 bred in captivity. 



PARROT FINCH (Erythrura psittacea). 

 .Male with the head (excepting the back of the crown), 

 the throat, rump, and closed tail vivid scarlet, and the 

 remainder of the body brilliant grass-green ; the flight 

 feathers are dull brown, with greenish or yellow edges ; 

 the tail feathers, when open, are seen to be blackish', 

 with crimson borders ; beak, brownish black ; feet,' 



* The name " Australian Fire-finch" is misleading, because this 

 species ia certainly not a Waxbill though perhaps more nearly 

 related to the Estrildinae than any other existing Grassfinch. 



smoky brown ; iris, dark brown. Female duller, the red 

 on throat and forehead rather less extensive and the 

 feet paler. Hab., New Caledonia. 



I have not come across any notes on the wild life of 

 this bird, but it has been freely bred in captivity in 

 Germany by Lieut. Hauth, in France by Mr. Savage, in 

 England by the late Mr. Wiener, Mr. Phillipps, Mr. St. 

 Quintin, and Mr. D. Seth-Sinith. Its favourite nesting- 

 receptacle appears to be a straw hat, with a round hole 

 cut near the back of the crown, and the rim tacked to 

 the aviary-wall. In a snuggery of this kind Mr. Seth- 

 Smith bred the species year after year without the least 

 trouble. 



Mr. Filmer says that the Parrot Finch has no song, 

 but Lieutenant Hauth speaks of an utterance which 

 certainly represents the song of other birds a loud 

 prolonged tschee, followed by a trill resembling the 

 winding up of a watch. 



As regards its food, Mr. Seth-Smith says: "White 

 millet and canaryseed form the staple food of the Parrot 



CRIMSON FINCH, 



Finch in captivity, but it is decidedly fond of insects of 

 various kinds, and insect food should be frequently given 

 in some form. Green food, isuch as flowering grass and 

 chickweed, should be freely supplied in the summer, but 

 the latter must be given with extreme caution during 

 the winter months." Coming from New Caledonia, the 

 price of the Parrot Finch is always high, usually 'from 

 two to three pounds for a pair. I was offered a beauti- 

 ful pair for 2 some years ago, but I had just lost a pair 

 of small birds for which I had given that price, and! 

 had promised myself that I would not repeat the 

 extravagance. 



THREE-COLOURED PARROT FINCH (Erythrura trichroa). 

 Above grass-green, rather paler at iback of crown and 

 sides of neck ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts 

 blackish ; flights, excepting inner secondaries (which are 

 green) dark brown, with green edges ; rump, upper tail- 

 coverte and central tail-feathers dull crimson ; other tail- 

 feathers blackish, crimson on outer webs ; forehead and 



