The 
Firefinches. 
(52) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
Mr. Garthwaite, of Grimsby, and his birds—an ingenious method of hand feeding, 
ones, the brown feathers growing long and 
finally dropping out. 
The moult comes in autumn, as in these birds’ 
native countries the hottest weather is during 
our English winter-time. They are found all 
over Africa, but imported from Senegal, and 
hence called Senegal firefinches. 
Other Species. 
Next in size to Lagonosticta brunneiceps, but 
rarely imported into England, is the Vinaceous 
Firefinch, Lagonosticta vinacea, more of a finch 
than a waxbili. 
The head is black and velvety, the body a 
curious dull, pinkish mauve, a most distinct 
colour, not likely to be confused with any other 
firefinch’s. The legs and feet are dark/ 
The larger firefinches are most difficult to dis¬ 
tinguish, but are all larger than the three I 
have described. They seem to form a section 
to themselves. 
Lagonosticta larvata, the Masked Firefinch, 
with black legs and feet. 
Lagonosticta polionota , whose back and 
wings are dark grey-brown. 
Lagonosticta congica is a faint-coloured bird, 
resembling Lagonosticta larvata. 
Lagonosticta rhodoparia resembles Lagonos- 
iicta polionota. 
Lagonosticta rufopicta, the Ruddy Firefinch, 
has a red breast with fiat white spots, the back 
and other parts dark grey-brown. It is known 
also as the Bar-breasted Firefinch, as the scarlet 
crosses the breast in a broad band. 
Lagonosticta rubricata is larger than the 
last, dark grey-brown, with rose-coloured 
breast and very large white spots. 
The female is brown, with rose under the chin. 
She reminds me of a young Robin. 
Lagonosticta niveiguttata, or Peters’ Spotted 
Finch, is the handsomest of all, a splendid bird, 
with a scarlet head and throat, and the white 
spots large and distinct. 
It is as large as a weaver, and has no resem¬ 
blance to Lagonosticta brunneiceps. 
Lastly, we have the grey Lagonostictas, 
Lagonosticta cerulescens, known as the Laven¬ 
der Finch, and the rarer Black-tailed Lavender 
Finch, Lagonosticta incana. 
Fair Play for Foreign Finchlets. 
If our common hardy English birds were ex¬ 
ported across the seas, given indigestible food, 
and kept in small cages, they, too, would earn 
the reputation of being delicate and difficult to 
keep alive. 
I am quite sure that once the firefinches re¬ 
cover the voyage and are properly fed and 
housed they will live and thrive and make 
charming pets, for they are sociable, fearless 
little birds, full of life and energy. 
