Australian Finches. 369 



The list of the Zoological Society begins with the Australian Finches, the first of which is 



THE CRIMSON FINCH {Estrelda Phaeton, Hombr. aiidjacq.), North Australia. 



(Illustration painted from live birds in the Author's collection.) 



yEgintha Pliaiton (Russ), Fringilla Phaeton, Neochinia Phaeton, Uneginthus Phaeton. German — " Sonnenastrild," or 



" Australisclie Amaranth." English dealers generally call this bird Australian Fire Finch. 



We have here one of the most beautiful, but hitherto rather rare, Australian Finches 

 before us. About the size of the well-known St. Helena Waxbill, the male bird's face, cheeks, 

 throat, chest, and the entire lower body are of brilliant dark carmine-red, the back is plain brown, 

 the wings reddish-brown, and the dark red tail is rather long, the middle feathers being 

 longest. The beak is bright coral-red. On the sides of the chest are small white spots, which 

 become slightly larger as the bird grows older. The female has a pale red face and throat, 

 the breast being greyish-brown instead of the bright red of her mate, but showing also white 

 spots at the sides. Seen in the full light of the sun, this graceful little bird must charm 

 every beholder. The rich red of the breast is then brightest, the white spots on the sides 

 v/ill appear like small pearls, and he will presently raise his head high, and swaying slowly 

 from one leg to the other, he will sing his insignificant little song, or spread his tail somewhat 

 like a miniature fan. With rapid, graceful flight he will visit every corner of the aviary, peering 

 with his intelligent eyes into every food-dish, or seeing from afar the chance of a mealworm. 



There is a very similar kind, the African Fire Finch, worth very much less than the Australian 

 Crimson Finch, and in buying the latter it is as well to avoid the mistake of buying the former 

 instead. The African Fire Finch is very much smaller, and has very minute white spots on the 

 sides, but his inferior size alone is ample guide. 



The native country of the Crimson Finch is Northern Australia, and he comes to England 

 mostly from Port Essington. According to Gould, he lives on grassy plains, and subsists 

 mainly on grass seeds. When we bear in mind that Northern Australia is semi-tropical, and 

 the voyage thence to England is a long one, mostly accompanied by great changes of tempera- 

 ture, we cannot wonder that these little birds often arrive in Europe much exhausted, and that 

 they frequently die soon, especially when winter sets in before they have time to recover. 

 That, notwithstanding their considerable value, they should be imported so rarely is a curious 

 fact which I cannot explain. Of those which do come, the females are decidedly the more 

 delicate. 



Although the Crimson Finch has been kept at the Zoological Gardens since 1861, Dr. Russ 

 could never succeed in obtaining a pair fit for breeding, the hens generally dying ; but an 

 amateur in Hamburg succeeded in 1878 in rearing successfully a brood of five young birds 

 hatched in his aviary. 



I had never seen more than one or two of these birds at one time, and at long intervals, 

 until I had an opportunity in July, 1878, of acquiring eighteen or nineteen newly-imported young 

 Crimson Finches in unusually good condition. The young birds reseinble the female until their 

 second moult, and for the purpose of acclimatising and observing the habits of these interesting 

 birds, I purchased the entire lot. Although the time of year was favourable, they required 

 great care ; but with the aid of plenty of millet in the ear, a little egg-food, and tufts of fresh 

 grass, with the seed stalks, roots, mould and all, they prospered very well. Some live animal 

 food was, however, indispensable, and an allowance of two or three mealworms per head daily 

 assisted me much. The colour of the males became very bright, and by rare good fortune 

 there were more females than males. Of the females several died in spite of all my care, and 

 towards autumn some of the most beautiful males began to be very quarrelsome, a sure sign 

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