176 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



211. Pytelia melba (Linn.). Southern Red-faced Finch. 



Fringilla elegans, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pi. 25. 



Pytelia melba, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Om. 1852, 



p. 150. 

 EstreUa melba, Layard'a Cat. No. 392. 

 Pytelia mslba, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 402. 

 ,, „ Sharpe's Cat. No. 632. 



This Finch is found sparingly in Damara and Great 

 Namaqua Land, and usually occurs in pairs ; its favourite 

 resort is low bush and old abandoned village fences, 

 whence the Damaras call it the " Kraal bird." Its food 

 consists of seed and insects. 



The iris is orange-brovm, the legs and toes purplish. 



Measurements of a male and a female : — 



Male. Female, 



in. lin. in. lin. 



Entire length 4 11 . . . . 4 10 



Length of folded wing . 2 4 2 4 



„ tarsus ... 07 08 



„ middle toe ... 6 . . ..05 



„ tail . . . 1 11 2 



„ bill .... 06 06 



212. Lagonosticta minima (Vieill.). Amadavat Finch. 



Fringilla minima, VieiUot's Ois. Chant, pi. 10. 



Estrelda miniina, Layard's Cat. No. 387. 



Pytelia minima, Finsch & Hartlauh's Vbgel Ost-Afrika's, p. 444. 



Lagonosticta minima, Sharpe's Cat. No. 631. 



I never saw but one individual of this diminutive 

 Finch — a male obtained at Ondonga, Nov. 25th, 1866. 

 Measurements of this specimen : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length .... 41 



Length of folded wing 



„ tarsus . . 



„ middle toe . 



tail . . . 



1 11 

 5 

 5 

 ... 1 6 

 bill 4 



