390 Caxaries and Cage-Birds. 



to allow the female to bring up the brood alone, or to remove the first and second nests 

 and sittings of eggs, and thereby to cool the birds._ 



Several Australian Finches will next deserve special notice, because they readily adapt 

 themselves to our climate, and some of them will gratify their owner by breeding without 

 difficulty. They are in so far indifferent to temperature that they will thrive perfectly 

 well during winter, if kept in a room in any ordinary dwelling-house, provided the windows 

 admit the rays of the morning or noonday sun. A temperature below freezing-point they will 

 not endure for more than a few hours, but protected to this extent they will live on canary 

 and millet seed, and be less subject to accidents than any other foreign Finches. 



MODEST GRASS FINCH {Amadina modesta, Russ), Australia. 



Aigintha modesta (Russ), Estrelda modesta, Aidemosyne modesta. English dealers' name — Cherry Finch, or Pliim-headed 



Finch. German name — " Ceres Astrild." 



The Modest Grass Finch is the Australian Finch next following, but happens to be 

 rarely met with, and has until now rather puzzled amateurs and students of ornithology. The 

 Zoological Society purchased one specimen in 1862, and the next in 1S72. Until 1872 the 

 bird was almost unknown to amateurs, and even now only a few pairs arrive at a time, 

 together with large numbers of other Australian Finches. It may be that the name of 

 Modest Grass Finch is against the bird. Because the bird is rare, he is therefore rather 

 expensive, but many people paying only high prices for gorgeously coloured birds with high- 

 sounding names, there is not much inducement to catch and import the Modest Grass Finch 

 in large numbers. His colours are modest, but, closely seen, very beautiful. 



The plum or dark cherry-coloured crown of the bird has given it the name by which 

 dealers recognise the bird. The brown bars on the nearly white lower body are very pretty, 

 whilst a white edge of the principal wing-feathers and white spots on their dark tint mark the 

 bird very gracefully. The male has a small black patch on the throat, just below the lower 

 mandible, which the female has not, otherwise the sexes are alike. In size the Modest Grass 

 Finch equals the Cut-throat or our Goldfinch. 



This bird does not appear particularly susceptible to the influence of climate, and yet 

 he will distress amateurs by dying quite unaccountably, few living very long. I incline to 

 the opinion that in his wild state the Modest Grass Finch feeds on some kind of seed 

 for which canary and millet seed are not quite perfect substitutes, and would advise to give 

 millet in the ear and flowering grass very freely. Dr. Russ has bred these birds once, and 

 no other instance is recorded of the Modest Grass F'inch having bred in confinement. 



CHESTNUT-EARED OR ZEBRA FINCH {Amadinn cutauotis, Russ), Australia. 

 (Illustration painted from live specimen in the Author's possession.) 

 Spennestes castanotis (Russ), Loxia guttata, Stagonopleura castanotis, Titniopygia castanotis, Z.oua:ginthiis castanatis. English 

 dealers' name — Australian Zebra Finch. German name — "Zebra Amandine," "Zebrafink." French name — "Diamant 

 4 Moustache," "Diamant Zebre," " Zebre d'Australie." 



The Chestnut-eared or Zebra Finch is the very opposite of the Modest Grass Finch, 

 for he will live, be happy, and breed anywhere. He is as cheerful in the smallest cage as in 

 the largest aviary, perfectly content with the most simple food, and indifferent as regards 

 temperature, so long as he is not exposed to severe frost. In the aviary he will not interfere 

 with other birds, and not allow others to interfere with him and his nest. Ever active 



