FIRE-TAILED FINCH. 
ZonceginthiLS hdlus flindersi Matliews, Austral. Av. Rec., Vol. V., pts. 2-3, p. 40, Feb. 21st, 
1923 : Flinders Island, Bass Straits. 
Zonceginthm hdlus iasmanicus Mathews, ib, : Tasmania. 
Zoncsgirdhus hdlus rosincs Mathews, ib. : South Australia. 
Distributiok. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Kangaroo 
Island. 
Adult tnale. General colour of the upper-surface including the cheeks grojdsh-olive, 
closely baiTod with black, the baning on the head closer and less defined ; rump 
and upper tail-covorts briglit crimson; flight-feathers greyish-brown, uniform on 
the inner web, and barred on the outer webs witli black; middle tail-feathers 
brownish-black, basally margined on their outer webs with crimson for about two- 
thirds of the feathers ; remainder of tail dark olive, barred with black; a band 
across the fore-head, lores and feathem surrounding the eye black; tliroat and 
chest greyisli-black, very closely barred withw^hite; feathers of the sides of the body 
and back closely baiTed with black and white ; middle of the belly, abdomen and 
under tail-coverts black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries similar to the throat; 
quills below greyisli-brown. Eyes hazel, skin round eye opal-blue, feet fleshy- 
cream, bill red. Total length 130 mm. ; culmen 9, w^ing 68, tail 47, tarsus 18. 
Figured. Collected at Aiura, Victoria, on the 8th of Jtme, 1913. 
Adult female. General colour of the upper-parts grey, suffused with olive and very closely 
barred all over with black ; the feathers on the head and neck more closely barred ; 
rump and upper tail-coverts bright crimson; quills greyish-brown, unifonn on the 
inner web and baired on the outer web with greyish-olive *, middle tail-feathers 
black, indistinctly baived wth gre 5 ish-olivo and fringed with dull crimson for about 
the basal two-thirds of their length ; remainder of tail black with equidistant bands 
of gre 3 ish-olive ; a band across the fore-head including the lores and feathers 
surrounding the eye black ; whole of the under-parts barred with black and white 
suffused with olive on the chin and throat; under tail-coverts black ; mider wing- 
coverts and axillaries sinailar to the throat; quills below uniform greyish-brown. 
Bill crimson, eyes marone, skin round e^^e beautiful light blue, feet dull yellow, 
legs lighter. Total leiigtli 116 mm. ; culmen 9, wing 60, tail 44, tarsus 18. Figured. 
Collected at Frankstow\ Victoria, on the 3rd of October, 1908. The female differs 
chiefly in lacking the black on the belly. 
Immature, Top of the head, cheeks, neck, back, wing-coverts and secondaries greenish- 
olive, closely ban'ed all over with narrow bars of blackish-browm ; rump and upper 
tail-coverts bright crimson ; middle tail-feathers brown:ush-black, bordered on the 
outer web with bright crimson for about the basal two-thirds ; outer pairs of tail- 
feathers olive, barred across both webs with blackish-brown; penultimate tail- 
feathers black-brown on the inner web and olive barred with browmish-black on the 
outer web ; a narrow line of black feathers over the base of the upper mandible, 
continued on to the lores and surrounding the e^’^es ; cliin, thi’oat and upper-breast 
grej^ suffused with olive, closely and narrowiy barred with blackish-brown ; 
remainder of under-parts grey with narrow bars of blackish-brown ; under-surface 
of wings grejish-brown. Eyes rich brownish-red, feet j’ellowish-brown, bill scarlet. 
Collected on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, on the 13th of April, 1912. 
Eggs. Five to eight eggs form the clutch, usually five. A clutch of six eggs taken at 
Gembrook, Victoria, on the 2nd of October, 1893, is of a pure wlute colour. Ovals 
in shape. Surface of shell fine and smooth, and almost devoid of gloss. 17-18 by 
12 mm. 
165 
