A. Morrison—The Genus Sporophila



3



vol. vi, p. 69. A vie. Mag., vol. i, p. 56 ; vol. iv, p. 231 ; 1905, p. 385 ;

1908, p. 88 ; 1931, p. 328. Breeding Records , 3.


Little is known of the wild life of this species and even skins are

rare in collections. The British Museum only possessed the skins of

four adult males when the Catalogue was published in 1888, and these

four remain the only skins in the collection.


It is, however, commonly imported and is a most charming and

desirable aviary bird. Its plumage is smart, it is extremely hardy,

and is a fine songster. Males of this species have the reputation of

being extremely vicious, but this is only so with closely related birds

and in a collection of Weaving Finches, for example, it is usually

peaceable and harmless.


As with all Sporophibe, hens of the White-throated Finch are very

rare. The catchers never seem to bother to trap them and most of

the “ females ” sold in this country are young males with yellow bills.


The White-throated Finch has bred in captivity, the first record

in this country being that of the Bev. C. D. Farrar, in 1905. The nest

is an open cup made lightly but strongly of fibres and grass, and in

this is deposited three or four eggs, bluish white in colour, flecked and

spotted with brownish markings. Both parents share in the incubation

which lasts twelve days and the young leave the nest after a further

thirteen days. Soft food and ants’ eggs should be given to the nesting

birds.


White-throated Finches are long lived, and one has been known

to survive in captivity for eleven years.



Bluish Finch (S. ccerulescens)


Male. —Very similar to the male White-throated Finch, but is

slightly smaller, possesses a black chin patch, and has no white patch

on the wings ; bill, yellow.


Juvenile Male .—Similar to female but a more ashy grey, with a

whiter breast and belly ; ashy grey chin spot and chest band ; bill,

yellow.


Female. —Above, olive brown ; feathers under the eye dirty white ;

cheeks and under-surface, ochre brown washed with yellow ; paler on



