ZEBRA FINCH. 



171 



sombre hue of the body. Its flight is extremely rapid 

 and arrow-like, particularly when crossing a plain or 

 passing down a gully. It is a stationary species in 

 Tasmania, and probably also in New South Wales. 

 Irc the former country I constantly found it breeding 

 in communities, my attention being usually attracted 

 by the enormous nests which they built among the 

 branches of shrubby trees, without the slightest 

 attempt at concealment. They are constructed entirely 

 of grasses and stalks of grass, dome-shaped in. form, 

 with a hole near the top for the ingress and egress of 

 the bird. The eggs are five or .six in number, rather 

 lengthened in form, and of a beautiful flesh-white, 

 eight and a half lines long and six and a half lines 

 broad. It breeds from September to January, during 

 which period two or three broods are reared. Its note 

 is a single mournful sound, emitted while perched on 

 the low branches of the trees in the neighbourhood of 

 its feeding places." 



Mr. North describes a nest taken at Hornaby as 

 having a long narrow neck, 10 in. in length by 2 irr. . 

 in width, the nest itself measuring 7 in. in diameter. 



Campbell (" Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds," 

 pp. 479, 480) thus describes the nest : " Nest. Bottle- 

 shaped, or covered in with a spouted side entrance, 

 constructed of grasses chiefly, with the addition of por- 

 tions of other plants, lined inside somewhat sparingly 

 with fine grasses and fur or feathers. Usually situated 

 in thickly-foliaged tree or bush. Dimensions, about 

 12 in. in length by 18 in. in circumference round 

 thickest part of the body." 



This is one of those birds which renders an arrange- 

 ment of species in a linear series impossible. While 

 probably most nearly related to the Diamond-finch, and 

 doubtless originating froim the same extinct ancestor, 

 its style of colouration and marking more nearly 

 resembles that of some of the African Waxbills. The 

 barred character of its plumage is indeed indicated on 

 the throat, breast, and sides of neck of the little Zebra- 

 finch, and as the latter has the sides of the body 

 spotted with white, somewhat after the fashion of the 

 Diamond-finch, I place it next to this .species, but the 

 note of the Zebra-finch indicates some affinity to the 

 typical Poephilce that is to say, to the Masked and 

 White-eared Grass-finches. 



Dr. Russ states that the entire disposition, love- 

 dance, etc., are like those of the Diamond-finch, but 

 its call-note is more prolonged. 



Probably the first pair of this bird known to have 

 been- imported reached the London Zoological Gardens, 

 in 1870. Subsequently specimens were acquired by Dr. 

 Russ, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and Mr. 

 Wiener, but none of these gentlemen succeeded in keep- 

 iag them very long, though Mr. Wiener states that 

 one specimen lived in his aviary for over a twelve- 

 month. As I have stated elsewhere, I strongly suspect 

 that all these aviculturists coddled the birds too much, 

 and they died from insufficient air and exercise. Russ 

 himself admits that some examples sold by Abrahams 

 and in Paris did well, so that Mr. Wiener's favourite 

 explanation for the death of birds which he found a 

 difficulty in keeping that some special food was lack- 

 ing falls to the ground. 



Always a prize in the market, although at one time 

 not an especial rarity, if we are to accept Dr. Russ's 

 statement, this beautiful bird has not been seen in 

 Europe alive for many years, yet there cannot be the 

 least doubt that it will reappear in considerable num- 

 bers one of these days, and will not only be tested with 

 open-air treatment, but will be successfully bred by 

 tome lucky aviculturist. 



ZEBRA FINCH (To&niopygia castanotis). 



The top of the head, neck, and front of back are 

 pearl-grey, shading into brownish-grey on the hinder 

 part of the back; the tail-coverts are white, regularly 

 barred with black ; the tail black ; on the front of the 

 cheek is a white band edged with black; the ear- 

 coverts of the cock bird are also ornamented by a large 

 patch of tawny, appearing orange at a short distance. 

 The throat and fore-chest are silvery-grey, every fea- 

 ther in the male transversely striped with black, and 

 the whole separated by a black band from the remain- 

 der of the under surface. The hinder part of the chest 

 and abdomen are white, slightly stained with buff, and 

 in the male the sides are chestnut, spotted with white ; 

 the beak coral-red, feet salmon-red, irides hazel. Female 

 without orange-tawny on ear -coverts, the black barred 

 silver grey throat and fore-chest, and the spotted chest- 

 nut sides. Hab., Northern, Western, and Southern 

 Australia. 



In its wild state this species wanders about in small 

 flocks, and spends much of its time on the ground, feed- 

 ing upon seeds of various grasses. It forms a flask- 

 shaped nest of dried grass, stalks, etc., in the branches 

 of a thick bush or low tree, and lays five to six white 

 eggs. , 



In captivity the nest is formed in any sort 

 receptacle, but a Hartz-cage is preferred to all others. 

 It is rare for more than four young to be reared in 

 one brood, but I have known as many as six to leave 

 the nest. The young are grey, with black beaks, a 

 white patch behind it ; the upper tail coverts barred, 

 but not completely hiding the tail, as m adults. 

 When asking for food the young throw themselves 

 sideways, turn the beak upwards, and clamour in- 

 cessantly and noisily. 



Probably no foreign bird is more hardy or more 

 easy to breed than the Zebra Finch. Moreover small 

 though it is, when the hen is sitting the cock bird 

 will keep guard outside the nesting cage or box and 

 drive off all intruders. There seems to be no question 

 of prudence. Birds five or six times its own bulk are 

 vigorously attacked, and usually driven off igno- 

 miniously. 



Since 1890 I have bred this species every year, and at 

 any season, without the least difficulty. Although it can 

 rear its young on seed alone, they are certainly more 

 vigorous when soft food is supplied daily in a saucer. 



As usual with Australian Finches, this bird is abso- 

 lutely hardy, and may be safely wintered in a large 

 sheltered outdoor aviary. 



The song of the Zebra Finch is not unlike the bleat- 

 ing of a kid, it might very well be produced with a 

 penny wooden trumpet; 'the call-note is a single 

 sound of the same character. In a large aviary un- 

 paired Zebra Finches are rather quarrelsome, but as 

 they never really hurt one another, no harm comes of 

 it. In a small aviary, however, they sometimes partly 

 denude one another of feathers, which, besides render- 

 ing them unsightly, sometimes weakens them so that 

 they are liable to catch cold and die. 



The Zebra Finch is very freely imported, and never 

 expensive; being extremely pretty, it is a general 

 favourite. 



On August 20th, 1897, Mr. Joseph Abrahams wrote 

 to me as follows: "As some interest seems to have 

 lately been taken in foreign hybrids. I am sending you 

 by post the skins and sketches of two viz., that of a 

 hybrid between a cock Bicheno and hen Zebra Finch, 

 and that of one between a cock Parson Finch and hen 

 White Bengalee. The latter I had in my place alive 

 over two years, during which time I tried to pair him 

 with all sorts of hens, but he was a perfect demon, for 



