72 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



more or less cleared and open ground near cultivation. Many dozens 

 are brought into the market at Recife to sell as cage-birds. The 

 Brazilians call it Gallo da cainpina." 



Mr. Edward Bartlett, from whose valuable (though unfortunately 

 incomplete) work, I have borrowed the foregoing notes on this species ; 

 says "Although my researches for details respecting these birds 

 extend over nineteen years, I have been unable to find any reliable 

 information concerning the nidification of this species in a wild state." 



Why Mr. Bartlett should assert that P. larva fa has no song, 

 whilst at the same time quoting a contrary statement by another 

 naturalist, does no seem clear ; but I should be inclined to believe 

 that he based his observation upon birds imported when old enough 

 to sulk ; for both sexes undoubtedly sing, as I have proved. 



According to Burmeister P. dominicana " lives singly in thickets 

 and is nowhere very plentiful." 



Neuwied seems to have a different experience : " This beautiful 

 bird is well known and quantities are kept in cages," and a little 

 further on he continues : " This bird was first met with by me 

 throughout the whole town of Bahia (San Salvador) ; it, however, 

 descends across Brazil to Paraguay, as we know through Azara. At 

 Bahia these birds are not rare. They are quiet, foolish creatures ; 

 but have a clear call-note and little chirping song. In every district 

 people keep numbers of them in cages, where they do well, they are 

 fed on crushed rice and maize. At Bahia they are called Cardinal, as 

 also by the Spaniards in Paraguay." 



Here again we have evidence that this species sings, and Neuwied 

 calls its performance a " zwitschernder Gesang," which proves that it 

 must be somewhat similar in character to that of its allies. 



Dr. Russ describes the eggs as pale green, spotted and speckled 

 with brownish ; the nesting habits similar to those of P. cucullata, but 

 the disposition of the bird less spiteful, the song more tuneful, less 

 dissonant, yet not rich in variations. It is, moreover, more generally 

 bred. In 1895 I found the shell of an egg, coloured as Dr. Russ 

 describes, in an aviary occupied by a pair of this species, but the 

 birds never formed a proper nest, although they continually carried 

 hay into a basket and pulled it out again. 



The Illustration is from an example in the author's collection. 



