THE SHARP-TAILED FINCH. 219 



but, nevertheless, quite as unassuming and hardy, and in all respects 

 peaceable. It delivers its comical humming song, spreading its tail 

 like a fan and solemnly turning its head from side to side. The 

 sexes are not differently coloured, and the male can only be certainly 

 identified by its humming. Some pairs breed very readily in cages, 

 but others do not at all. In the bird-room they build a nest in a 

 Hartz cage, but somewhere in a corner. The development of the 

 brood corresponds with that of the Little Magpie {Bronze Mannikiti]. 

 The first pair which nested in niy bird-room, consisted of two forms, 

 a striped and black-runiped Bronze Maunikin.* The young, however, 

 resembled the other pairs." 



It must here be borne in mind that Dr. Russ considers the 

 species of Uroloncha to be Bronze Mannikins ; to which, indeed, they 

 appear to be nearly related. The species known in the English bird- 

 market under this title is, however, more active ; and, at times, 

 decidedly spiteful : indeed I have seen my Striated Finches chased 

 hither and thither by one of my examples of Spermestes cucullata. 



Illustration from living specimens in the author's collection. 



THE SHARP-TAILED FINCH. 



Uroloncha acuticauda, HODGS. 



THIS species is nearly allied to the Striated Finch, but instead of 

 having the back brown, the croup white, and the upper tail-coverts 

 blackish, with brown edges to the feathers, it has (according to Dr. 

 Sharpe's description) a broad belt of white across the back, and the 

 croup and upper tail-coverts reddish-brown ; the wing-coverts blackish, 

 the sides of neck and fore-chest rufous-brown ; the ear-coverts and 

 sides of neck tawny- reddish, spotted with white, the sides of the white 

 under parts slightly mottled with dull brown ; the flanks, thighs and 



* U. melanopygia, a nearly allied species, with the lower back black, instead of white. A.G.B. 



