2



A. Morrison—The Genus Sporophila



“ Zoo List ” = List of Birds in the Collection of the Zoological Society,

1929, by G. C. Low.


“ Bird Notes ” = Journal of the Foreign Bird Club, 1903-1924.


“ Avic. Mag.” = Avicultural Magazine, 1895-


Management


Sporophilse are inclined to be delicate when first imported and

should be kept warm, out of the reach of draughts. When once

acclimatized, they are perfectly hardy and practically all species can

pass the winter in an unheated outdoor aviary with impunity. For

food they should be given canary seed, white and spray millet.


Not more than one pair should be placed in one aviary, as although

harmless with other birds, they are frequently quarrelsome among

themselves. Every collection of Grass Finches and other weaving

finches should contain a pair of Grosbeaks by way of variety and in

such a collection they will be found absolutely harmless. As they

all possess excessively powerful bills they may be safely associated

with much larger birds. If two Sporophilae quarrel, they must be

separated or a death will result. They take their fights very seriously.


White-throated Finch ( Sporophila albigularis)


Male. —Upper surface, slate grey, the crown and sides of head, darker ;

forehead, lores, eye region, and ear coverts, black ; feathers of the

upper back and shoulders with darker centres ; cheeks, throat, sides

of neck, and under parts, white with a broad black band across the chest;

flanks, grey ; first primary quills with white bases forming an oblong

patch on the folded wing ; bill, horn yellow ; feet, grey ; iris, black.


Juvenile Male. —Similar to the female, but paler above and with

a more distinctly whitish throat ; bill, yellow.


Female. —Upper surface, greyish-brown with blackish centres to the

flight and tail feathers ; a whitish wing patch ; under parts, white with

a greyish belt across the chest ; bill, blue grey.


Plate. —Butler, Foreign Finches, p. 90 (male and female).


Habitat. —Eastern Brazil.


References. —Butler, p. 144. Butler, Foreign Finches, p. 90. Buss,

vol. i, pp. 569, 685. Neunzig, p. 244. Bird Notes, vol. iv, p. 154 ;



