35G 
Parrot-Finches. 
the aviary they dash about like wild caught birds. This latter 
remark applies alw to the Three-coloured Parrot-Finch, of 
which I have had two pairs. This species was, I believe, 
first, privately imported by Mrs. Johnstone— who bred them 
freely— some of these subsequently came into Mr. Temple's 
hards. T believe he reared two broods from the original 
ladulL pair, in heated aviaries one spring-, after which they 
began to moult. 
A i>|air of the young birds he kindly presented to me, 
and later I purchased tlie old birds— but cannot report any 
brilliant results therefrom. 
The young birds never attempted to breed, and I tiiially 
sent them to the Zoo, in ei^change; the old birds laid two 
clutches of eggs the first summer in my aviaries, ljut were 
very unsteady and did not hatch. I kept them for two seasons 
more, but, as no furthei- attempts were made, I let them go to 
one of our fellow members who is an exhibitor. These birds 
should be " commoner " than the two coloured species from 
New Caledonia— but I think there have only been two importa- 
tions altogether. They are, as I have said, lazy birds— inclined 
to be wild, and to get very fat. 
I have always found them quite peaceable, but 1 Ivnow 
this is not the universal experience of avicultui'ists. The 
sexes are easily di ;iinguishable, the coloui's, especially the 
blue on the head of the male, being mucli brightei' than in the 
female. 
The Common or Two-coloured Pariot-Finch is easily 
my favourite of these three species, he is more beautiful than 
the last mentioned species, and far more confiding tliaa the 
Pintail, even if not so beautiful, which ix)int I am inclined 
to question. 1 supi>ose it was this species which earned for 
the genus the name of " Parrot-Finch," for the other two com- 
moner species do not in any way suggest to me the colouring 
of a Parrot of any kind. 
Even the Common Pai'rot- Finch has one diawback, i.e. 
the dilficulty of sexing individual birds. Males largely pre- 
ponderate and are fairly easy to sex by their song— females 
must be picked out by a process of exclusion, i.e., the absence 
of song, and the fainter colouring— also thickness of the beak. 
Ai one time, liaving made several co.-rect guesses, I 
