PASSERIFORMES 163 



Family PLOCEIDJE 



Australian Wax-bill ; Sydney Wax-bill ; Red-browed Finch 



(JEgintha temporalis) 



The Otago Society introduced four in 1867, and the Auckland 

 Society four in 1871 ; in neither case is there any further record. 



Java Sparrow; Rice-bird; Paddy-bird (Munia oryzivord) 



The Nelson Society introduced a number in 1862, but they are 

 not mentioned again. 



The Auckland Society obtained six from Captain Forsyth in 1867, 

 but there is no report as to what came of them. 



Nutmeg Sparrow; Cowry Bird (Munia punctulatd) 

 The Auckland Society received eight from Queensland from Miss 



Wright in 1868; but there is no further record of them. 



(Captain Hutton in 1871 referred this species to Gould's Estrelda 



temporalis (= JEginiha temporalis), which is the red-eyebrowed finch; 



the temporal finch, or red-bill of the Australian colonists.) 



Chestnut Sparrow ; Rockhampton Sparrow ; Chestnut-breasted Finch 

 (Munia castaneithorax) 



In Judge Broad's Jubilee History of Nelson (published in 1892) 

 in a list of birds imported and liberated up to September, 1864, are 

 included six Australian sparrows, which are most probably this species. 



The Auckland Society liberated 25 of these birds in 1867, 

 and state in the report of the following year that the "Australian 

 sparrows are considered to be thoroughly acclimatized." Two more 

 were liberated in 1871. Then they disappeared. 



The Canterbury Society obtained 12 from Mr Wilkin from 

 Sydney in 1864. Nothing more was recorded of them. 



Diamond Sparrow ; White-headed Finch ; Spotted-sided Finch 

 (Steganopleura guttatd) 



The Canterbury Society introduced a number, apparently in 

 1864, for the report for 1866 says: "the greatest success has been 

 attained by the little Australian diamond sparrow, which may now 

 be seen in flocks." They have never been heard of since. 



The Wellington Society introduced 12 in 1874, but there is no 

 further report. The Nelson Society also introduced them. 



(According to Hutton (1871) this was the diamond bird of Australia 

 (Pardalotus punctatus).) 



Sir George Grey told Sir Walter Buller that out of nearly a 

 hundred diamond sparrows which he liberated on Kawau, very few 



