Grass-Finches. 61 



Zebra Finch (Tceniopygia castanotis). 



In the female the orange cheeks, black and grey striped 

 breast and white-spotted cinnamon sides of the male bird are 

 wanting ; it is also a rather slimmer bird than its mate, and not 

 quite so quarrelsome, although always ready to defend its nest. 



Cherry Finch (Aidemosyne modesta). 



The hen can always be distinguished from the cock by showing 

 less crimson on the forehead, being destitute of the black gorget, and 

 with more uniformly grey under parts. 



African Silver-bill [Aidemosyne cantans). 



The hen is a rather smaller and more slender bird than the cock, 

 and its outer flight-feathers are greyer. 



Indian Silver-bill [Aidemosyne malabarica). 

 The hen is smaller than the cock, and less huffish in tint. 



Ribbon Finch (Amadina fasciata). 



The female is usually rather smaller than the male, and duller in 

 colouring ; she shows no pure white on cheeks, chin, or throat ; the 

 latter is whitish speckled with black ; the crimson ribbon of the 

 male bird is wanting ; the under parts are dull fawn colour, with 

 no white mottling on the chest, and the blackish bars are for the 

 most part broken up into clots and dashes. 



Red-headed Finch {Amadina erythrocephala). 



Unlike her mate, the hen, instead of having the head and upper 

 throat crimson, has a brown head slightly necked with crimson, and 

 a white throat narrowly barred. She is distinctly smaller. 



The Mannikins. 



These are practically only broad-beaked Grass -Finches. As a rule, 

 they do not differ sexually to a very great extent, as regards plum- 

 age ; but where most alike can generally be sexed with tolerable ease 

 by the character of the head and beak. 



Striated Finch (Uroloncha striata). 



The skull of the hen is narrower than that of the cock, the beak 

 slightly shorter and stouter, not so fine towards the tip. The same 

 differences apply to the three varieties of the so-called Bengalee — 

 the supposed domesticated race. 



Sharp-tailed Finch (Uroloncha acuticauda). 



The sexes differ much as in the preceding species, with which it 

 will interbreed. 



