166 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



tolerably abundant, being congregated in flocks of from 

 twenty to forty. When on the wiing it utters a very 

 feeble cry of twit, twit, twit, but at other times pours 

 forth a drawn-out, mournful note, like that of some, of 

 the other Grassfinches." 



This species was tared in captivity by Mr. L. W. 

 Hawkins in 1900, and in the same year Mr. Phillipps 

 gave an illustrated, account of the species in The Avicul- 

 tural Magazine, 1st Ser., Vol. VI., pp. 259-262, in 

 which he says that it 'has from time to time nested 

 with Ihion, but not satisfactorily. 



I purchased a pair of the species in May, 1905, and 

 turned them into an indoor aviary ; they carried about 

 hay at various times, and were often to be seen in the 

 comipany of two hen Zebra-Finches, sitting 

 in Hartz cages and pretending to have eggs 

 (their usual note is not unlike that of the 

 Zebra-Finch) ; but up to the end of 1907 

 they had made no serious attempt at breed- 

 ing'."* 



LONC-TAILED GRASSFINCH (Poepliila 

 acuticauda). 



Above rosy-brown, 31101 e earthy orr lower 

 back, wing-coverts and inner secondaries ; 

 upper tail-cpvertsi white ; the rump crossed 

 by a black band; flights blackish; 

 primaries with whitish outer margins; tail 

 black ; crown and sides of head silver grey 

 or greyish white ; lora-1 spot, eyelid and 

 throat black; body below, from throat 

 backwards, rosy fawn-colour ; thighs, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts white ; a broad black 

 band between the fawn of the breast and 

 the white of the vent; under wing-reverts 

 and edges of flights deep "fawn-colour ; beak 

 waxy yellow ; feet fleshy-yellowish ; irides 

 black. Female generally slightly smaller ; 

 tail usually longer ; black gorget rather 

 smaller. Hab. , North Australia. 



In its wild state the Long-tailed Grass- 

 finch is said to inhabit the open plains 

 bordering streams, and to feed on grass and 

 other seeds. 



According to Campbell, the nesting habits 

 resemble those of P. cincta; and that is all 

 I have found recorded respecting the wild 

 life. 



Formerly this was a rare species in the 

 bird-market, but in the nineties it began 

 to come to hand more and more frequently, 

 together Avith its siibspecies Poephila l i <-k\ 

 of Heinroth (aurantiirostris, North) ; in 

 1905 and 1906 great numbers were brought 

 home by Mr. Payne, and the price dropped 

 to 10s. a pair. I purchased a pair in 1905 

 -which died almost as soon as I got them, and in 1906 I 

 purchased a second pair, which lived, but never bred. 



The subspecies ( ?) or rather variety with orange-red 

 beak and feet I received a female of, about the year 

 1897, which I paired with a cock Parson Finch. 



A nest was built in which both birds roosted together, 

 but I believe no eggs were deposited. Eventually a 

 large tumour formed at the base of the upper mandiible, 

 which so weakened the Long-tail that one morning 

 (26th June, 1898) I found her floating dead in the water- 

 pan in an inch and a-half of water. 



In England the Long-tailed Grassfinch was first bred 

 by Mr. Todd, but subsequently several other avicul- 

 turists were equally successful. 



* It has been bred by Mr. D. Setli-Smith and Mr. T. N. Wilson. 



PARSON FINCH (Poephila cincta). 



The head, is silver-grey, the beak, chin, throat, and 

 fore-chest black ; the back fawn colour shading dnto 

 vandyke-brown on the wings and rump ; upper tail 

 coverts black, broadly tipped with white, tail black, the 

 two centre feathers pointed and terminating in a short 

 bristle; under parts of body light rufous brown; vent 

 and under tail-coverts white ; feet salmon red. The 

 cock usually differs from the hen in its slightly broader 

 head, which is of rather a whiter tint, and the greater 

 extent of the black patch on the throat ; the sexes are 

 nevertheless not easy to determine. Ha.b., Nortli 

 and -South Australia. 



In its wild state this bird frequents open grassy plains 



LONG-TAILED GRASSFINCHES. 



and forms its nest in long grass or Pandanus bushes, 

 laying five white eggs. In captivity it is one of the 

 most attractive of aviary birds, though somewhat 

 aggressive, (interfering with the nest^ of other birds, 

 and violently attacking any bird (no matter how 1 > 

 which approaches its own. I was much amused one day 

 to see a cock Parson Finch, in a grievous rage fly at a 

 Bar-shouldered Dove and pluck a couple of featlnis 

 from its back ; yet the same impudent little mite made 

 a fast friend of a Bronze-winged Pigeon, close to 

 which he ii.-e .1 to sit sometimes for a great part of each 

 day. 



Judging by the self-satisfied actions of this very Tit- 

 like Finch, it would seem to be one of the most con- 

 ceited of the feathered race ; but this assertive impu- 

 dnce ds one of the greatest charms of the bird. 



