152 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



web ; lower part of rump and upper tail-coverts carmine red ; the 

 central tail-feathers black, tinted near the base with crimson ; the 

 others with light brown bars on the outer webs ; the black banding on 

 the head very fine, so as almost to appear uniform ; the lores, a 

 narrow frontal band and the feathers encircling the eye black, inside 

 which is a bare bluish zone ; under surface of body silver-grey, barred 

 with black, most finely on the throat and front of neck ; abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts black ; under wing-coverts pale tawny, with faint 

 dusky bandings ; length 4-,% inches ; beak crimson, paler at the base of 

 the upper mandible ; legs flesh-coloured ; iris dark brown. 



According to Gould, the sexes are alike. 



The London Zoological Society purchased a pair of this species 

 on the 24th May, 1870, and recorded them under the name of " Red- 

 tailed Finches " : * this was probably the first living pair kept in 

 confinement in Europe , though it seems likely that so pretty a species 

 was previously known as a cage-bird in Australia. 



Herr Wiener says that he always found Fire-tailed Finches " die 

 in the most unexpected and disappointing manner. One single bird, 

 out of many, lived in my aviary for over a twelvemonth, but he was 

 sent to a show on the Continent as a curiosity, and died there, as 

 unexpectedly as many newly imported specimens had done." He 

 continues : 



" My own experience has been unfortunately shared by Dr. Russ, 

 by Prinz Ferdinand, of Coburg Gotha, and all other amateurs. The 

 bird seems to require some kind of seed or food which we have yet to 

 discover; and, without which he does not thrive in Europe as a cage- 

 bird. I have heard that the Fire-tailed Finch is very shy, when newly 

 caught, and for this reason is often brought over in dark cages. If 

 this be true, it may well be that the birds which died so unaccount- 

 ably may have perished through sheer fright, in consequence of the 

 admiration of their purchasers. One of the most intelligent London 

 dealers, who frequently imported the Fire-tailed Finches, always placed 

 them on the top shelves of his shop, out of reach of observation, and 

 seemed to lose comparatively few. The first specimen Dr. Russ had 

 in his aviary was so nervous, that whenever he entered his bird-room 

 the poor little bird flew on to his hand, and tried to hide in his coat 

 sleeve ; evidently seeking for a dark shelter. It is needless to say 

 that the bird has never been bred in captivity." 



Mr. Gould gives the following account of the species : 



* The trivial name of " Rufous-tailed Grass-finch," which I recently proposed for Bathilda 

 ruficauda, thus becomes necessary, to avoid confusion. A.G.B. 



