110 



THE GOWRY BIRD. 



Lcxia punctularia, LINN*UB; Le Grosbec tachete" de Java, BUFPON; DergctUpfelt* 

 Kernbeisser, BBCIISTEIN. 



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

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

 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, which I have seen in the collection of His 

 Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, conies from Java ; it is kq>t 

 in a cage and fed on canary seed. Its call is " dcguayj' its feeble song 

 somewhat resembles the siskin's. 



THE BANDED FINCH. 



T.oxia fa^laa, LisN.tc.s ; La Collerette ; Der gebanderte Kernbeisser, BECiisrtis. 



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 arc sur- 

 rounded by a band of dark reddish purple. 



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

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

 deeper shade. 



VARIETIES. The one I have actually before me, and which 

 1 received from Mr. Thiem, bird-dealer at \Valtcrshausen, is a 

 lliic male, whose plumage is as follows : 



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

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

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

 K-mieircular black line, and terminated by a spot of red brown ; 

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

 with transverse angular black bands, and bordered at the tips 

 with red brown. 



