64 THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



Taking Mr. Phillips' successful experience as here recorded as their guide, bird 

 fanciers should encounter no serious obstacles in breeding these beautiful finches for 

 the market. The essential elements for success are no doubt the maintenance of a 

 congenial temperature, more especially at the moulting and breeding seasons, combined 

 with a large margin of liberty. On the question of temperature, Dr. Butler, and 

 other authorities quoted in his Monograph, are, in the author's opinion, inclined to 

 lay too little importance. It must be borne in mind that the natural distribu- 

 tion of the Gouldian finches is restricted to tropical Australia, and that they 

 are not obtained south of these limits in common with the many other Australian 

 species that are extensively imported. Dr. Butler attests to having kept one male 

 bird in an outdoor aviary throughout the winter, but, against this isolated instance, 

 numberless individuals perish indoors at the first approach of the winter season. Were 

 they, in fact, naturally adapted for a colder climate, their geographical distribution, instead 

 of being limited, as now, to the north, would be co-extensive with the Australian 

 continent. It is, at the same time, an undoubted fact that Gouldian finches can 

 withstand considerable extremes of temperature. At Normanton, in the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, close to their native haunts, and where the author saw a number that were 

 breeding in an Outdoor aviary, making their nests in the hollows of some rockwork, the 

 thermometer at night was down to, and below, 50 Fahr. In the daytime, however, 

 by way of compensation, it rose in the shade to from 70 to 80 or more, a range of 

 temperature under which, in captivity, these finches are most supremely happy. The 

 contrast, in fact, exhibited by the demeanour of the examples in the author's possession 

 under the varying conditions of our fickle English climate is convincing. But a few 

 weeks since, May, 1896, a brief premature spell of sunny summer weather maintained 

 the temperature of their room to a height of from 65 to 70 Fahr. with windows 

 open and without the aid of fires ; all the birds were full of life, the males unburdening 

 their pent-up hilarity in a continual stream of song. To this succeeded a return of 

 bitter north-east wind, driving the highest day readings of the thermometer to below 60. 

 The birds at once began to mope, the males ceasing or indulging little in melody, while 

 the females crouched forlornly with their heads tucked under their feathers, and only 

 roused themselves to take their food. But, in fact, for the prompt supply of artificial 

 heat, more serious complications would have undoubtedly ensued. 



A brief space may be appropriately devoted to one other noteworthy Australian 

 finch. This is the so-called "Firetail" or Firetailed finch, Estrelda bella, of the 

 southern provinces of the Australian continent, which is especially abundant in the 



