THE



Bvtcultural Hba$a3me t


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



VOL. VI. — NO. 72. All rights reserved. OCTOBER, 1900.


THE LONG-TAILED GRASSFINCH.


(.Poephila acuticaudai)


By D. Seth-Smith, F.Z.S.


The subject of this paper is so well known now, and so

closely resembles, both in habits and plumage, the familiar

Parson-finch (P. cincta ) that I fear I can record nothing concern¬

ing it that is new to the majority of our readers.


Our esteemed fellow-aviculturist, Mr. R. A. Todd, was, I

believe, the first to breed this beautiful species in England (vol.

III. p. 210) ; and probably since that time a great many have

been reared by other members, for it seems to reproduce its kind

in captivity quite as readily as the Parson-finch ; and I believe

several aviary-bred specimens were exhibited at the Palace and

elsewhere last year. Tike most of the Grassfinches the sexes are

identical in plumage, and I know of no certain way of ascertaining

the sex of a given bird. I believe, as a rule, the males are

slightly the larger birds and the centre tail-feathers are some¬

what longer than in the females. I have heard also that the

white tip to the lateral tail feathers is only to be found in the

females ; but this is certainly not alwa3^s the case, as some

undoubted males in my possession have this mark, although it

is certainly more pronounced in the females ; possibty, however,

it may be absent in very old males.


I have found this species quite trustworthy in a mixed

collection, although its temper is certainly not of the sweetest

type, and it knows how to fight well enough when other birds

intrude too near to its nest.


The song, which is not often uttered, appears to me to be

absolutely identical with that of its congener the Parson-finch,

with which species it interbreeds freely enough ; and I think it

most probable that the young hybrids would be perfectly fertile

amongst themselves or with either of the parent species, so

closely do the two resemble one another in all their ways. Mr.



