On Nesting oj the Yellow-rumped Finch.



97



NESTING OF THE YELLOW-RUMPED FINCH.


Munia flaviprymna.


By W. E. Teschemaker.


I first made acquaintance with this species in March of this

year when I came across four in the Insect House of the

Zoological Society which had been deposited by the Hon. Walter

Rothschild.


They struck me as being so extraordinarily like the

Chestnut - breasted Finch in everything except colour that I

formed the hasty and, as it proved, erroneous conclusion that

this species was merely a variant form of the latter. I have since

ascertained however that the Yellow-rumped Finch is quite a

distinct species. The points of identity are however so remark¬

able as to be worth reciting, viz. : size, shape and colour of tail,

wings, beak and legs ; size and shape of body; song, love-dance,

and call note. Add to this that in the wild state they are said to

be found together, and that in the aviary the two species are

always associated and sing to one another.


On the 4th of April Mr. Hamlyn sent me a pair of M.

ftavipry 7 nna on approval and, though somewhat doubtful of their

sex, I was so pleased with them that I kept them. Mr. Hamlyn

was good enough also to send me a list of those he had already

sold with their destination and respective prices. Of course it

would be a breach of confidence to quote this list, so I will merely

say that mine cost a small sum compared with the first pair sold.


However it is not always our dearest purchases that turn

out best and, so far as I know, my pair are the only ones that

have made even a partially successful attempt to reproduce their

kind A


I kept mine for a short time in a cage, but they puzzled me

considerably. One was a large bird and the other a small one,

but it was the small one that sang. Now that I know a little

more about them I think I could pick out the sexes without any

difficulty. The hen is much darker (and more streaky) on the


* Several nests were built; and eggs laid, in both Mrs. Howard Williams’ and Mr.

Seth-Smith’s aviaries during last summer, and in the latter, young birds were hatched,

though not reared.—E d.



