BLUE-BELLIED FINCH. 
Fringilla Benghalus. Lin. Sjst. i . p. 3 23 . 
Le Bengali. Bris. Orn. iii. p. 3 03. 
Buff. Ois. iv. p. 92. 
Blue-bellied Finch. Ediu. pt. 131. female. 
Lath. ii. p. 310. 
Although the Count de Buffon has given the appropriate title of Ben- 
gal to these birds, he does not mean to infer that they are confined to that 
part of India, being natives of Asia and Africa. And as a number of them 
have been taken to the Isle of Cayenne, and there set at liberty, where 
they were seen to be very cheerful, lively, and disposed to perpetuate their 
race; he says, we may expect to see them soon naturalized in America. 
A cage, containing a variety of these very lively and delicate birds, was 
presented to Lady Ducie, and kept in this Menagery. 
The subject of this Plate had on each side a crimson crescent, placed 
under but rather behind the eyes ; the breast, throat, belly coverts above 
and beneath the tail, and the tail itself, were of a delicate pale blue; all the 
upper part of the body and wings of a pale light grey, inclining to chesnut. 
In the same cage another specimen had the lower belly and thighs the 
same colour as the back, and wanted the crimson spots under the eyes, 
which is supposed to be the characteristic of the male, as Mr. Bruce, who 
has seen these birds in Abyssinia, asserts that the crimson spots aie wanting 
in the female, and that her plumage is less brilliant. The male has an 
agreeable warble, which he never observed in the female. 
This variety came from the coast of Angola, where they are called, by 
the Portuguese, Azulinha, by the French Cordon bleu, and they aie more 
frequently met with than the subject of this Plate. 
