2^2 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



THE CHESTNUT-BREASTED FINCH. 



Munia castaneithorax, GOULD. 



ONE of the handsomest of the Mannikins, this little bird, which is 

 an inhabitant of Australia, was formerly rarely imported ; but, 

 at the present time is frequently to be obtained and consequently is 

 hardly ever absent from our bird-shows. 



The male bird has the upper part of the head and nape brownish 

 grey with darker streaks, the remainder of the upper surface cinnamon- 

 brown, the scapulars brighter; the croup and upper tail-coverts glossy 

 straw-coloured ; the central tail-feathers straw-coloured, the remainder 

 dark brown, with yellowish margins ; sides of face blackish-brown with 

 pale shaft streaks ; chin and throat blackish ; sides and front of neck 

 and chest pale chestnut brown, bounded by a black girdle across the 

 breast, which, with the abdomen, is white ; sides of body cinnamon, 

 barred with black and white ; flanks, thighs and under tail-coverts 

 black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pale cinnamon ; flight feathers 

 below dusky, tail below black. Length 4^ inches. Beak pale blue- 

 grey ; legs greyish brown ; iris brown. 



The female is very like the male, but the chestnut breast-belt is 

 paler, the black girdle slightly narrower, and the black markings less 

 defined on the flanks : the form of the beak, of course, differs as in 

 other Mannikins and the streaking on the crown is less distinct. 



The young plumage is thus described by Dr. Sharpe : " Nearly 

 uniform brown above, a little dusky on the head, and slightly more 

 fulvous on the lower back and rump ; wing-coverts like the back ; 

 bastard-wing and primary-coverts uniform dusky brown ; quills and 

 tail-feathers dusky brown, edged with pale brown like the back, the 

 centre tail-feathers somewhat olive in tint ; lores dusky blackish ; ear- 

 coverts and sides of face brown, with whitish shaft-line; throat ashy- 

 whitish, mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; lower throat and 

 fore-neck, as well as the sides of the body, flanks, and thighs, fulvous- 

 brown ; breast and abdomen isabelline, clearer white on the latter and 

 on the under tail-coverts, the latter mottled with black bases ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries pale tawny buff." 



