A. Morrison—The Genus Sporophila



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References. —Russ, 570. A vie. Mag., 1931, pp. 228, 289.


The one and only example of this Finch which has ever been

imported came into the possession of Captain Hammond about 1930.

It was a pretty little bird, and its owner kept it for several years in

perfect health and condition. Although I saw it several times it was

in the days before I was interested in Sporophilse, and I can remember

nothing about it. It is unlikely that such an extremely rare bird will

ever again be imported save by accident.


(Does any member know what became of this bird ?—A. M.)


Marsh Finch (S. palustris)


Male. —Top of head, hind neck, upper back, and shoulders, blue

grey, marked with indistinct dark feather centres ; rest of upper

surface, bright bay ; tail coverts, blue grey ; lower eyelid, sides of head

and neck and foreneck, white ; rest of under surface, bright chestnut

brown with ashy grey thighs ; wing coverts, blackish edged with dirty

grey ; rest of wing feathers, blackish with slate grey edges, paler on

the primaries and white on the inner secondaries ; bases of the inner

primaries are white, forming a wing patch ; under wing coverts, whitish;

axillaries, chestnut brown ; tail, blackish with whitish grey edges ;

irides, dark ; bill, black ; feet, brownish black.


Juvenile Male. —Undescribed.


Female. —Above, dull olive brown ; paler on the top of the head

and upper back and slightly mottled with dusky bases to the feathers

as are also the ear coverts ; lores, lower eyelid, cheeks, whole under

surface, and thighs, pale ochreous buff washed on the sides of the body

with brown ; lesser wing coverts like the back ; other wing feathers,

blackish edged with pale brown ; wing patch as in the male but smaller ;

under wing coverts, whitish washed with yellow ; axillaries like the

breast but edged with olive yellow ; upper mandible, dark horn colour,

lower, paler ; irides, dark ; feet, brownish black.


Plate. —British Museum Catalogue, vol. xii, plate 2 (male and female).


Habitat. —Argentine.


References. —Neunzig, p. 239. Avic. Mag., 1924, p. 117.


This rare Finch appears to have been imported only once, in 1912



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