46



A. Morrison—The Genus Sporophila



under surface light tawny buff, paler on the abdomen and deeper on

the under tail coverts ; under wing coverts, whitish washed with

yellowish buff ; lesser wing coverts like the back ; rest of wing

feathers greyish brown edged with olive, or on the coverts with pale

brown ; tail, dark brown with paler margins.


Plate. —Neunzig, p. 237.


Habitat. —North Brazil to Guiana.


References. —Buss, 568. Neunzig, 237. Butler, 148. Breeding

Records , p. 4. Bird Notes , vol. vi, p. 183.


The Collared Finch has been occasionally imported, but not, I think,

of recent years. A pair bred with Dr. Buss, laying two eggs in a small

deep nest built in a bush. Two would appear to be the regular number

for the clutch with Sporophilse. It is a peaceable, good-tempered

species and it possesses a pleasant soft little song.


The Southern Collared Finch (S. collaris) is included in Neunzig

and Buss as being occasionally imported. It is also in the Zoo list,

possibly in error for cucullata. The male differs from cucullata in

having the upper surface, sides of neck and rump, whitish, and the

lower back and thighs ashy grey. For all practical purposes the

female is probably indistinguishable, but is differentiated by being

more sandy above and more tawny below, with the wing spot formed

by the bases of the inner primaries a more yellowish white. Curiously

enough collaris is said to be a much finer songster than cucullata.

It comes from South-Eastern Brazil.


Black-banded Finch ( S. torqueola)


Male. —Crown, nape, neck, mantle, and back, black; rump,

cinnamon brown ; throat, whitish ; a black band across the fore-neck ;

a large patch of white on the sides of the neck forming a half-collar ;

cheeks and under surface, pale rufous buff ; thighs white, black

posteriorly ; wing feathers, black with a white patch at the base of

the outer web of the inner primaries ; tail feathers, black fringed with

pale brown ; iris, brown ; bill and legs, blackish.


Out of season, all the black feathers become edged with brown,

and the white half-collar is tinged with sandy buff.


Juvenile Male.' —Similar to the adult male, in seasonal plumage



