160 PLOOEIDS. 



Family PLOOEID^. 



Genus ZONtEGINTHUS, Cabanis. 



5-. ZON^GINTHUS BELLA, LatJiam. 



Fire-tailed Fincli. 

 Gould, Handbh. Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 249, p. 406. 



Tasmania is the stronghold of this species, but it is also found 

 on the Australian continent; a nest of this species in the Australian 

 Museum Collection, taken by Mr. J. A. Thorpe at Hornsby on 

 the 9th of November 1886, (together with the birds and eggs) is 

 a large structure, composed exteriorly of long pieces of coarse dried 

 grasses, lined with others of a finer description, it has a long 

 narrow neck ten inches in length by two inches and a-half in 

 width, the nest proper which is globular, measuring seven inches 

 through external diameter : it was built in a Native Broom about 

 ten feet from the ground. Eggs five in number for a sitting, 

 pure white elongated in form, being nearly equal in size at both 

 ends ; .length (A) 0-73 x 0-48 inch ; (B) 072 x 0-47 inch ; (C) 

 0-71 X 0-48 inch ; (D) 0-7 x 0-49 inch ; (E) 0-71 x 0-49 inch. 



Specimens from Tasmania give the following measurements : — 

 length (A) 0-73 x 0-51 inch ; (B) 0-72 x 0-5 inch ; (C) 0-75 x 0-52 

 inch. Specimens in the Macleayan Museum Collection, measure 

 as foUows :— length (A) 0-78 x 0'51 inch ; (B) 0-73 x 0-5 inch ; (C)'^ 

 0-73 X 0-51 inch ; (D) ^-75 x 0-i>2 inch. 







The breeding season commences in September and continues 

 till the end of December. 



Hah. Wide Bay District, New South Wales, Interior, Victoria 

 and South Australia, Tasmania. (JRamsay.) 



Genus STICTOPTERA, Eeichenbach. 



S. STICTOPTERA BICHENOVII, Vigors and Horsfield. 

 Bich.eno's Finch. 

 Gould, Handhk., Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 251, p. 409. 



The habitat of this Finch is the interior and the northern and 

 eastern portions of Australia. Like all other members of this 



