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The Red-Breasted Long-Tailed Finch. 
T H E lower Figure in the Print fhews the Bird of its natural Bignefs j the upper 
is reduced, the better to exprefs it with its Tail: It is a Bird of lively Action,and 
a.} r.ity Note, and by various Motions in railing and lowering its long Tail it makes a 
vay diverting Appearance. 
The Bill is Ihcrt, and pretty thick in Proportion, of a Blueilh or Lead Colour j the 
Eyes are hazel-colour’d; the whole Head, and the Throat as low as the Breaft, is of 
a Black-colour; the Back, Wings, and Tail, are alfo Black, yet the Edges of the 
greater Wing Feathers appear a little alh-colour’d or whitilh: Its Tail is like what is 
common to other fmall Birds, and there fprings frjom the Rump above it a Sort of fecond 
Tail, compofed of only four Feathers, the two longefl thirteen Inches and a half long,, 
and three Qiwrters of an Inch wide near the Rump, decreafing gradually to lefs than a 
Quarter of an Inch at their Tips; between thefe are two Ihorter, of lix Inches aiid a 
half in Length, and one Inch and a half in Breadth in the broadeft Parts, falling fud- 
denly into very narrow Points, compofed of Threads lying together 5 the long Feathers 
are fomething arched like the Feather’s of a Cock's Tail, having tranfverfe Lines a-crofs 
them, fuch as we fee in water’d Silks, there being no Variety of Colour in thefe Fea¬ 
thers, as they are all of a deep Black : the Breaft is of a full deep Orange-colour; the 
hinder Part of the Neck of paler Orange, or Golden Colour; the Belly and Thighs are 
White ; the lower Belly and covert Feathers under the Tail are Dufky or Black ; the 
Legs, Feet, and Claws, which agree with thofe of moft other fmall Birds, are of a 
Flefti-colour. What is moft extraordinary in this Bird is, that it changes its Colour, 
and lofes the long Feathers of the Tail for more than ftx Months in the Year: About 
the Beginning of November it ftieds its Tail and molts its Feathers,, and becomes of a 
mixed Colour ; the Head being Black and White in Streaks ;, the Breaft, Back, and 
covert Feathers of the Wings, of a reddifti Brown, fpotted with Dufky, almoft like the 
Feathers of a%M^; the greater Quills and Tail Feathers of a blackiftt Brown ; the 
whole Belly, Thighs, and Coverts under the Tail,, White; the Legs and Bill the fame 
as above deferibed. In this State it continues all the Winter, without the four long 
Feathers in the Tail. In the Beginning of Summer it molts its Feathers again, when 
the long Feathers of the Tail begin to ftioot out, and in Jime^ or the Beginning of July^ 
it becomes again what it was in the foregoing Summer. The upper Figure fhews him in 
his Summer’s Drefs; the lower reprefents him as he appears in Winter. 
This Bird was the Property of the obliging Mr. of LoLirmce-^Lcine, London^ 
who kept it alive four Years,, and carefully obferved the Changes of it, as I have fet them 
down ; he hath alfo made me a Witnefs of them, by inviting me feveral Times to view 
the Bird in its different States, and about the Times ^its dian.ges, and gi ven me Liber¬ 
ty to make Draughts at v/hat Times I thought proper. This Bird was brought from 
Afkolam.Africa. He feems to be briefly deferibed by Book 15. Chap, 
but 1 think improperly claffed with Sparrows it rather, in my Opinion, belonging to 
the tinging Finch Kind. In its Winter’s Drefs it nearly refembles the Bramble Finch, 
Our Countryman, Mr. Willoughbyy in his Ornithology, 251. has tranflated the Deferip- 
tion of this Bird from Aldrovanf who calls it an Indian long-taild Sparrow,^ A Gen¬ 
tleman, who lately arrived from Lisbony tells me the Portuguefe call this Bird the Wi- 
dowy from its Colour,, and long Train : He fays alfo, thatthe Hen is of a Lark Colour,, 
having no long Train. Ifs 
