A. Morrison—The Genus Sjporojphila



7



The song is quite simple but loud and sweet. It appears to be a very

good-tempered bird, even when caged with other Sporophihe. This is

fortunate for it is the possesser of a fiendishly powerful bill quite out

of proportion with the size of the bird. A single nip will practically

draw blood and it is not a pleasant bird to handle.


Plumbeous Finch (jS. 'plumbed)


Male. —Above, ashy grey, lighter on the lower rump ; upper tail

coverts, blackish edged with ashy ; tail feathers, blackish, narrowly

edged with grey brown, which becomes pale grey towards the ends ;

lores, black, extending to the base of nostril ; ear coverts and cheeks,

dark ashy, the former with whitish shaft lines ; small white streak at

base of cheeks ; lower eyelid, white ; throat and breast, ashy grey ;

centre of breast, belly, and under-tail coverts, white ; sides of body,

ash grey ; thighs, white in front, ashy behind ; lesser wing coverts,

like the back ; rest of wing feathers, blackish, edged on the primaries

with dirty white ; on the others with ashy grey ; pale edges very

broad on the inner secondaries, while a white wing patch is formed

by the inner primaries ; axillaries and under-wing coverts, white, with

a dark patch at the wing border ; bill, blackish, with a pale flesh-

coloured tip ; feet, dark brownish grey ; iris, bright, greyish brown ;

in some cases the bill is yellow and this feature is probably variable.


Juvenile Male .—Much browner above and on the margins of the

wing coverts and quills ; under parts, suffused with brown, which also

deadens the white on the throat and abdomen.


Female .—Yellowish grey brown, paler below, with the centre of

the belly whitish and no white wing patch.


Plate.—Bird Notes , vol. vi, p. 87 (male), uncoloured.


Habitat. —Brazil to Bolivia.


References. —Buss, pp. 564, 685. Neunzig, pp. 241, 242. Butler,

p. 144. Bird Notes, vol. vi, p. 89. Avic. Mag., vol. ii, p. 57.


Two sub-species have been described :—


Whiteley’s Finch (S. plumbea whiteleyana)


Similar to the typical race but with the chin and base of cheeks

white.


Habitat. —Guiana, Venezuela, and Amazonia.



