3GO 



PASSERES.- 



-BIRDS. FKIXGILI.II>.*. 



THE TREE SPAEEOW (Passer montanus] is a smaller 

 bird than the house sparrow, to which it bears a con- 

 siderable resemblance, but is usually found at a dis- 

 tance from human habitations, building its nest in the 

 holes of trees, and similar situations, and also in the 

 deserted nests of magpies and crows. It has, however, 

 been known to breed in company with the house 

 sparrow in the thatch of a barn, or about other farm- 

 buildings. In its general habits this species resembles 

 its more familiar relative, but it is by no means an 

 abundant bird in England, especially in the southern 

 counties. It is found in the northern parts of the 

 European continent, and extends its range across 

 Asia to Japan. 



THE AUADAVADE (Amadina Amandava), a native 

 of India, and other parts of tropical Asia, is a beautiful 

 little bird, measuring about four inches in length, of 

 which the rather long wedge-shaped tail makes up one 

 third. It has a bright red bill and red irides ; the lower 

 surface is red, and the upper brown, with numerous 

 pure white spots. It is a sociable little bird, and is 

 caught in great quantities and imported into Europe, 

 its lively habits rendering it an amusing cage-bird. 



THE SPOTTED-SIDED FINCH (Amadina Lathamt), 

 which is generally distributed in the southern parts of 

 Australia, is of a brown colour above, with the top of 

 the head gray, and the rump and upper tail-coverts 

 scarlet. The lower surface is white, with a broad band 

 across the breast and the flanks deep black, each 

 feather of the latter having a large white spot at the 

 tip. The tail is black. The length of the bird is about 

 four inches and a half. The food of this Finch consists 

 principally of the seeds of grasses, which it seeks upon 

 the ground. It is remarkable for building its nest not 

 unfrequently among the large sticks forming the lower 

 portion of eagles' nests, even during the period when 

 the eagle is sitting ; and the little Finches may be seen 

 perched upon the small twigs close to their formidable 

 neighbour, who, however, does not appear to do them 

 any harm. At other times the nest is built on the 

 branch of a tree, when it is constructed of grasses, in 

 a nearly spherical form, with a short spout on one side 

 giving access to the interior. 



THE GOULDIAN FINCH (Amadina Gouldue), one 

 of the most beautiful of the family of the Finches, is 

 worthily dedicated by Mr. Gould to the memory of his 

 wife, whose sympathy and aid had so much to do with 

 the success of his earlier works. In this charming 

 little bird the face and throat are black ; the back of 

 the head and neck are verdigris-green ; the whole upper 

 surface is yellowish-green, the lower surface rich yellow, 

 with a band of a beautiful shining lilac-purple colour 

 across the breast. The Gouldian Finch is a native of 

 North Australia. It is still rare in collections, and 

 nothing is known of its habits. 



THE BEAUTIFUL GEASS-FINCH (Poephila mirabilis), 

 another North Australian species, is also a charming 

 little bird. It has the head and face carmine red, the 

 chin and throat black, and from the latter a narrow 

 black line is given off, which borders the red of the 

 back of the head. Behind this there is a narrow 

 collar of pale blue. The back and wings are green, the 

 rump and upper tail-coverts bright blue, the breast 



lilac, and the belly yellow. The primary quills of the 

 wings and the central tail-feathers are blackish-brown. 

 Of the latter the two middle ones are very long, and 

 taper to a fine point. This last character occurs in the 

 other species of Po'ephila, of which several are found 

 in Australia. 



THE FIRE-TAILED FINCH (Estrelda bella), an inha- 

 bitant of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, 

 is a pretty little species of an olive-brown colour above, 

 and gray beneath, marked all over, but especially on 

 the wings, tail, and lower surface, with transverse 

 black lines. The rump and the base of the tail-feathers 

 are scarlet ; the centre of the abdomen is black ; the 

 eyes are surrounded by a black circle, from which a 

 band runs to the base of the bill, and thence across the 

 forehead, and the bill is crimson. This bird is seen in 

 small parties both in the wooded gullies and in the 

 gardens of the settlers, with whom it is a favourite. 

 It feeds on the seeds of grasses and other plants which 

 it picks up on the ground. The nest is of large size 

 compared with its architect. It is domed, with an 

 opening on one side near the top. The bird is sociable 

 in its habits, several pairs usually building their nests 

 close together on the same tree. 



THE EED-EAEED FINCH (Estrelda ocula), an abun- 

 dant species in Swan River, is nearly allied to the 

 preceding, from which, however, it is readily distin- 

 guished by a red spot behind each eye, and by its 

 having the feathers of the lower surface black, with a 

 large white spot at the tip of each, so that the abdomen 

 presents a sort of black reticulated pattern upon a white 

 ground. This bird inhabits swampy places, and feeds 

 upon seeds. 



THE JAVA SPAEEOW (Oryzornis oryzivora), which 

 is well known as a cage-bird in this country, is a 

 native of Java and Malacca, and is about the size of our 

 Greenfinch, which it further resembles in the thickness 

 of its bright red bill. It has a black head, with an oval 

 white spot on each cheek ; the plumage of the back 

 and breast is of a fine bluish-gray, and that of the belly 

 pale rose colour. The primaries and tail-feathers are 

 black. In its native haunts it is said to be very 

 destructive to the rice plantations, and hence the nan.e 

 of RICE-BIRD is frequently given to it. 



THE WHITE-THROATED SPAEEOW (Zonotrichia 

 albicollis), a native of the United States of North 

 America, measures about six inches and a half in 

 length, and has its plumage variegated with black, bay, 

 ash-colour, and light-brown above; white beneath, 

 with the breast ash-colour. The chin is white, and 

 the head exhibits three white stripes. This bird winters 

 in the southern states, where it haunts the rice fields, 

 and advances to the northward in the summer to breed. 



THE SONG-SPAEEOW (Zonotrichia melodia], another 

 species nearly allied to the preceding, is only partially 

 migratory in the United States, where it is a very 

 common bird. Its song, which commences very earlv 

 in the year, and is often continued throughout the 

 whole summer and autumn, is described as very sweet 

 although short, resembling the beginning of the 

 Canary's song, frequently repeated. Its plumage is 

 variegated with black, brown, and yellow above ; the 

 breast is marked with elongated pointed spots of dark 



