BIRDS OF THE REED-BEDS AND GRASS-LANDS 
201 
15. Black-throated Finch Poephila cincta Gould 
cinc'-ta— L., cinctus , banded. 
distribution. Queensland and New South Wales. 
notes. Also called Parson Finch and Black-throat. Usually in pairs 
or flocks, frequenting grass lands bordering watercourses and open 
country. It is very similar in habits to the Masked Finch. Food: seeds 
of grasses and other plants. 
nest. A bottle-shaped structure, composed of dried grasses; lined 
with feathers. Generally built in tall grass, a low bush, or a small tree. 
eggs. Five to nine, white. Breeding-season: August to December. 
16. Black-tailed Finch Poephila atropygialis Diggles 
a-tro-pyg-i-a'-lis— L., ater , black; Gk, pyge t rump, tail. 
distribution. Northern Queensland (Normanton). 
notes. Also called Diggles* Finch and Black-rumped Finch. It is 
similar in habits and economy to the Black-throated Finch. 
nest. A bulky, flask-shaped structure, composed of dried grasses, 
twigs, and leaves of small plants; lined with fine hair-like seed-tops of 
grasses. Generally built in tall grass, a bush, or in a pandanus palm- 
tree. 
eggs. Six to nine, white, often tinged with faint green. Breeding- 
season: August to January, and often as late as April or even June. 
17. Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda Gould 
ac-u'-ti-caiid'-a—I,., acutus , sharp; L., cauda , tail. 
distribution. North-western Australia and Northern Territory. 
notes. Also called Long-tailed Grass-finch, frequenting open country 
and grass-lands bordering watercourses. It is very similar in habits and 
economy to the Black-throated Finch. A red-billed variety of this 
Finch inhabits the Northern Territory. 
nest. A bottle-shaped structure, composed of dried grasses; lined 
with a few feathers. Generally built in tall grass, in a low bush or 
tree, or in a pandanus palm-tree. 
eggs. Five or six, white. Breeding-season: September to January, 
and earlier or later according to the conditions of the season and the 
rainfall. 
18. Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton Hombron and Tacquinot 
—18A. Female 
Ne-och'-mi-a-Gk, neochmia, change: pha'-et-on-G k, phaethon, 
shining. 
distribution. Tropical northern Australia (except Cape York 
Peninsula). 
notes. Also called Blood Finch. Usually in pairs or flocks, frequent¬ 
ing grass lands bordering watercourses. It is generally seen in cane 
grass and pandanus palm-trees; feeds on the seeds of grasses and other 
plants, also on termites. 
