III. 



GENUS ZONiEGINTHUS (Cabanis). 



THE two members of this genus which inhabit Australia, resemble each other greatly, both in 

 appearance and habits. 



ZOlSLEGINTHUS OCULEUS. 



RED-EARED FINCH. 



WESTERN AUSTRALIA is the home of this species, which is generally found either in open 

 forest country studded with thickets, or in swampy situations and the borders of lakes and 



ri vers. 



Unlike its congener, it is a solitary species, more than one never being found in the same spot. 



On dissection the stomach, which is not very muscular, is found to contain seeds of various 

 grasses. Its powers of flight are not great, and are used only to enable it to pass between the 

 different thickets, or from tree to tree. 



Its cry consists of a single long drawn-out note,, which, heard in the still forest, sounds most 

 melancholy. 



The lores, a line above the bill, and a circle round the eye are black, behind the eye is a 

 patch of scarlet ; upper surface, wings and tail, olive-brown, crossed by numerous crescent-shaped bands 

 of black ; rump and margin of the base of the central tail-feathers, scarlet ; throat and breast, light 

 brown, crossed by crescent-shaped bands of blackish-brown ; abdomen, white, each feather edged with 

 black ; iricles, red ; bill, scarlet ; legs and feet, yellowish-grey. 



The sexes are alike in colouring. 



Habitat : Western Australia. 



ZON^EGINTHUS BELLUS. 



Fl R E- TA I LED FINCH. 



rriHIS species of Finch inhabits the whole of Tasmania and some parts of New South Wales. It 

 is generally seen in small flocks of from six to twelve, in the open forest, and very often in 

 the gardens of the inhabitants, its tameness of disposition making it a great favourite. 



