Australian Finches. 371 



other, whilst one hen lost her tail in a dispute. A Crimson Finch I sent with five other 

 Australian Finches in one travelling-cage to Berlin, has been accused of breaking a Zebra 

 Finch's and a Diamond Sparrow's legs during the journey. No other Australian Finch is 

 equally quarrelsome; it is therefore advisable to keep each pair of Crimson Finches in a separate 

 cage, or at all events to watch over their behaviour towards other birds in the aviary. 



BICHENO'S FINCH [Estrelda Bichenovii), Queensland. 



(Illustration painted from live specimen kindly lent by Miss Dyson.) 



Fringillii Bichenovii, Estrelda Bichenovii, Hictoptera Bichenovii. Dealers' name — Doulile-b.mded Finch. 



German — "Ringelastrikl," or " Gitterfliigel. " 



Compared with the brilliant hue of the Crimson Finch, the smaller Bicheno's or Double- 

 banded Finch appears at first sight very modestly attired. A pure silvery-white is the ground 

 colour. The feathers are delicately pencilled with fine black lines or bars, which, when seen 

 at a distance, give the bird a light silver-grey appearance, but examined more closely, the 

 plumage of this Finch, one of the smallest of the Australian Finches, is of great beauty and 

 marvellous delicacy. The face, throat, breast, and the lower part of the body are white. A 

 narrow black line, which crosses the throat, extends from ear to ear. A second black line 

 across the lower breast runs parallel with the former, and gives the bird the name of Double- 

 banded Finch. The wings are black, but the feathers have rows of white square spots^ which 

 on the dark ground appear something like a trellis. The Germans have named the little bird 

 for this reason " lattice wing." The beak is of silvery-grey tint, and the tail is black. The 

 female bird cannot be distinguished from the male ; possibly the markings of the female 

 may not be quite so sharply pencilled, but this may be due to age, just as well as to sex, 

 and there is no certain distinguishing mark. 



When these little birds arrive in this country, they are often very shy, and much care 

 is advisable, to avoid accidents. They become, however, quite tame in a little while, and 

 soon make themselves at home. By no means delicate, they require but little minute care. 

 Canary and millet seed, with a little chickweed, will supply all their wants, and they will live 

 for years in perfect health and happiness. 



Although four specimens had been presented to the Zoological Gardens in 1861, Dr. Russ 

 did not see the Double-banded Finches until the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and in London 

 they were probably not offered for sale before 1872. In that year Dr. Russ and I acquired 

 several Bicheno's Finches at about the same time, and since then they arrive every year, 

 but not in very great numbers. They have been constant inmates of my aviary for years, 

 and lived from April to the end of October in the open air. A temperature of 50° to 55° 

 sufficed in winter. But it grieved me a long time that I could not induce these birds to 

 build ; they left every kind of nest-box and nesting material unnoticed. At last I obtained 

 some very hard aloe fibre, and this seemed to please the Double-banded Finches, for they 

 busied themselves at once with it, and soon buil^ a large ball in the crest of an Arbor 

 VitK. The ball was nearly as cleverly constructed as a Weaver-bird's nest, had a very small 

 entrance at the side, and formed a capital nest, in which four or five pure white eggs were 

 laid and hatched in the usual time of thirteen to fifteen days. 



The young brood is not at all difficult to rear. Millet and maw seed soaked in hot 

 water and strained, a little egg-food, some soaked ants' eggs, and a few mealworms are 

 ample. The young birds resemble their parents in so, far that the pencilling of the feathers 

 is much more faint, the black tints are replaced by grey, and the white is lustreless, but 



