Avifauna of the Fiji Islands. 305 



I have examined, obtained in December, are in mucL .rern 

 plumage. The sexes are very similar, but the female 

 specimen has less gloss on the back and the whitish edges 

 to the secondaries rather less defined. — C. B, T.] 



Erythrura pealei Hartl. 



Fijian " Gigi.'^ 



This attractive Finch is common in Vitilevu. It is said 

 to occur, but to a much more limited extent, in Vanualevu 

 and Taviuni. Specimens shot in Januarj^, February, and 

 March were in full moult, and the immature birds of the 

 year were beginning to assume the red head of the adult 

 plumage. I was unable to distinguish any difference 

 between the sexes. They feed to a great extent on grass- 

 seeds, though the crops of those shot contained some small 

 green caterpillars in addition. The breeding- season appar- 

 ently extends over July and August. In September and 

 October young birds with yellow bills and green heads 

 were commonly seen in company with their parents. 

 Family-parties consisted generally of three young birds, 

 together with the adults. We had no difficulty in trapping 

 them at this time. I kept a number in captivity, to which 

 they seem to be particularly well adapted. Over twenty 

 were brought alive to this country, where they proved them- 

 selves to be hardy and capable of nesting in confinement. 

 An account of these, together with a coloured plate, has 

 appeared in the ' Avicultural Magazine ' for December 1911. 

 These birds in captivity underwent a second annual, but 

 partial, moult in October. 



There was one specimen the head and face of which 

 remained of a peculiar bluish-green tint even after several 

 moults. It had a few red feathers at the base of the bill. 

 This specimen is now in the Zoological Society's Gardens, 

 and there is a skin somewhat resembling it in the British 

 Museum. 



Dr. Finsch has described (P. Z. S. 1878, p. 440) another 

 species of Erythrura from Vitilevu under the name of 

 E. kleinschmidti. This is a larger bird with a blue-black 



