200 BIRDS 



The Gouldian Finches, which also belong to Poephila, 

 are among the most brilliantly colored of cage birds. The 

 bright hues of their plumage have made them in great de- 

 mand among aviculturists since their introduction from 

 Australia, which appears to have occurred about 1885. 

 The Black-faced Gouldian Finch {P- gouldice) is green 

 above, with the lower back pale blue and the tail black. 

 The head and throat are black, the breast is purple and the 

 abdomen is yellow. The Red-faced Gouldian Finch (P. 

 mirabilis) is similar to the preceding, but has the head 

 bright red. The middle tail feathers are lengthened and 

 tapering. The females of both forms are distinguished by 

 the much paler shade of purple on the breast. The female 

 Red-faced seldom has the head clear red, much black gen- 

 erally being intermixed. It seems probable that these two 

 birds are simply phases of the same species, as they inter- 

 breed freely both in the wild state and in captivity. There 

 is also a yellow-faced form, which is so rare as to be seen 

 but seldom. 



Gouldian Finches are exceedingly delicate when first im- 

 ported. Like all small finches, they must be given little 

 grit at first, and protected from cold and draught. As 

 they become acclimatized, they increase in hardiness, but 

 even then cannot be considered as entirely safe. Under 

 ordinary circumstances, Gouldian Finches live best in box 

 cages, where they may receive individual attention. Thor- 

 oughly hardened birds will thrive in an outdoor aviary 

 during the summer. Under such conditions, they have 

 been bred freely in England, but no one on this side ap- 

 pears to have been successful with them, although at least 

 one aviculturist has had young hatched. 



