110 



THE GOWRY BIRD. 



Loxia punctularia, Linnjeo* ; Le Grosbec tachet^ de Java, Boffon; Dergettipfelte 

 Kernbeisser, Bechstein. 



This bird is the size of a linnet, about four inches and a 

 quarter in length. The beak and feet black ; the whole of the 

 upper part of the body, and the lower, as far as the breast, 

 chestnut brown; the cheeks marked with a reddish purple 

 tinge ; the belly and sides white, but all the feathers bordered 

 with black in the form of a heart. 



The female has no red tinge on the cheeks, the beak and feet 

 are deep brown ; the sides white, tinged with deep brown : the 

 back reddish brown. 



Observations. — This species, whicli I have seen in the collection of His 

 Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, conies from Java ; it is kept 

 in a cage and fed on canary seed. Its call is " deguay^* its feeble song 

 somewhat resembles the siskin's. 



THE BANDED FINCH. 



Loxia fasciata, Linnaeus ; La CoUerette ; Der gebanderte Kernbeisser, Bechstew. 



This bird is the size of the preceding, about four inches and 

 a half in length. The beak is bluish grey. The feet short and 

 flesh-coloured ; the upper part of the body dark reddish ash 

 grey, each feather having two black transverse bands, only one 

 of which is visible ; the cheeks and lower mandible are sur- 

 rounded by a band of dark reddish purple. 



The female has not this collar, and its plumage is paler ; the 

 under part of its body is red brovm, each feather edged with a 

 deeper shade. 



Varietiks. — The one I have actually before me, and which 

 I received from Mr. Thiem, bird-dealer at Waltershausen, is a 

 fine male, whose plumage is as follows : — 



The head is dull orange, with black stripes very near toge- 

 ther ; the upper pail of the neck, the back and rump, are the 

 same shade of orange, but each feather is intersected by a 

 semicircular black line, and terminated by a spot of red brovm ; 

 the scapular wing coverts and last pen-feathers are dark grey, 

 with transverse angular black bands, and bordered at the tips 

 with red brown. 



