THE ZEBRA FINCH. 191 



another; in that case they are still too young for genuine breeding; they 

 usually, in their extraordinary restlessness, commence immediately 

 after their change of plumage, when about eight weeks old, to nest 

 thus, and continue for a long time before they are finally able to 

 breed productively. Until they have completed a year, the opportunity 

 of nesting should be withheld. Then five to six broods are not 

 unusual, a pair frequently produces thirty young without stopping. 

 Laying: four to seven eggs. Incubation: eleven days. In the daytime 

 the sitting is alternate, at night both consorts together. The young 

 are fed for a considerable time, even after their flight they like to sit 

 with their parents in the nest. Nestling down : yellowish-white. Young 

 pluinaffc : dirty yellowish mouse-grey ; beak shining black, white near 

 the cheek stripe ; nights dark-grey with paler margins ; tail blackish, 

 banded with white ; feet flesh-coloured. The change of colour begins in 

 the fifth week ; on the upper breast a fine black line becomes notice- 

 able, which continually becomes more intense ; on the under surface 

 the feathering becomes brighter, passing through dirty yellow into 

 pure white ; the upper plumage constantly becomes deeper brownish, 

 by degrees the outlines of all the markings become defined ; the beak 

 passes through dull yellow into red yellow ; the change of colour 

 usually continues to the end of the eight weeks. The young must 

 be taken away, they disturb the old birds, and others, which are 

 nesting. As a lodging they should have a large cage with little nest 

 boxes, together with building material to keep them warm at night. 

 This bold bird readily deserts its nest in the most astonishing manner, 

 if disturbed when sitting ; I, therefore, give emphatic warning. The 

 experiment of getting the Zebra Finch to rear the eggs of other 

 valuable birds, mostly ends successfully. Mules have been bred with 

 the Diamond Finch, Little Silver-pheasant and others. Aberrations of 

 colour have also been bred from the Zebra Finch, but no importance 

 can yet be attached to these." 



Gould says : " This bird appears to be almost peculiar to the 

 interior of Australia ; among other places it inhabits the large plains 

 to the north of the Liverpool range, and is particularly abundant 

 about Brexi and the banks of the river Mokai ; but, that it sometimes 

 occurs on the southern side of the range, is proved by 1113' having 

 killed five specimens on the Upper Hunter. It has also been found, 

 though very sparingly, at Swan River, and a specimen is contained 

 in the collection formed by Mr. Bynoe, at Port Essington. It passes 

 much of its time on the ground, and feeds upon the seeds of various 

 kinds of grasses. On the plains it congregates in small flocks, and 



