THE



119



Bxucultural /ilbagastne,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



New Series. —VOL. III-. — NO. 4 .—All rights reserved. FE B R U A R Y, 1905.



PETERS' SPOTTED FIREFINCH.


Lagonosticta niveiguttata.


A living specimen of this very beautiful finch was exhibited

by Mr. L,. W. Hawkins at a bird show at the Crystal Palace in

February 1903, as reported in the Aviculturcil Magazine (N.S.

Vol. I. p. 179) ; and the same example appeared at the Palace in

November and December of the same year ; this is, so far as I am

aware, the only living specimen of this species that has ever

been imported.


The living bird reminds one strongly of the genus Pytelia,

and it is probably quite as closely related to the members of this

genus as to the typical African Firefinches. Dr. Hopkinson,

who has studied the Firefinches closely, and knows several of

them well in a wild state, has pointed out in Bird Notes , that the

genus Lago?iosticta can well be divided into three groups, the

first “to include L. jiiveiguttata (and any close allies it may

have), which from its general appearance and habits is more

nearly related to the Aurora Finches {Pytelia) than its neighbours

in the [British Museum] Catalogue.” The second group to

consist of “ typical Firefinches, L. senegala , rubricata, rufopicta t

and allied species from various parts of Africa, which are all

alike in their food, habits, and requirements in captivity.” And

the third group, “ the Davender Punches, Vinaceous Firefinches,

etc., whose manners in captivity and whose habits in freedom

place them in a group by themselves, a group markedly distinct

from that which includes the typical Firefinches.”


As the very beautiful L. niveiguttata has been imported



