356 Oji the Breeding of the Red-headed Finch.


Undaunted by this reverse the Red-heads selected another

nest box, and were soon sitting as industriously as ever. I had

accidently discovered that they were very fond of gentles, and

some of the latter were always thrown in for them twice a day.

This is the more curious because this species is hardly ever to be

seen on the ground searching for insect food. I think this should

be noted because it may have some bearing on the result.


Early in June I heard young birds being fed in the Red¬

heads’ nest, but it was not until almost the end of the month

that they flew, having been over three weeks and almost a mouth

in the nest.


As we know, young birds when they leave the nest are

usually bunchy, half-feathered, weakly little things, but these

young Red-heads were a splendid sight, being as large, as well

feathered and quite as brightly coloured as the adults—in fact

“ tight and perfect.” The most remarkable point about them

was that they all closely resembled the adult male having red

heads and ‘spangled’ breasts, the spanglings being, however,

smaller and of a different character, and their heads of a lighter

shade. Now, it would be an unusual thing for three nestlings

from one nest all to be males (I subsequently concluded that

they were two males and one female), but, even supposing them

to be all males, it appears to be an almost invariable rule for the

young males in nestling plumage to resemble the adult female.


The breast markings of this species are quite worth a little

consideration. In the first place one may note, on taking the

bird in the hand, that the breast feathers are nearly all of a

different length and differently marked, and yet, when lying in

their proper order, they correspond in such a way as to form a

pattern of almost mathematical accuracy. The explanation of

this seems to be that, if one draws an imaginary line across the

breast from wing to wing and examines the feathers in this par¬

ticular belt, they will be found to be of similar length and

marking; and further the cells from which these feathers grow

must be spaced at exactly even intervals.


Secondly, it is noteworthy that corresponding feathers of

an adult and immature specimen of the same sex are quite of a

different pattern —the former being “spangled,” the latter barred.



