Part 37

ESTRELDA TEMPORALIS.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

ESTRELDA TEMPORALIS. Red-eyebrowed Finch.

Fringilla temporalis, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp., p. xlviii.—Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 258.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. ix. p. 533.

Temporal Finch, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p. 211; and Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 115.—Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 12.

Le Sénégali quinticolor, Vieill. Ois. Chant., p. 38, pl. 15.

Fringilla quinticolor, Vieill. 2nde Edit., du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xii. p. 183.—Ib. Ency. Méth., Part III. p. 991.

Goo-lung-ag-ga, Aborigines of New South Wales.

Red-Bill of the Colonists.

This species of Finch is very generally spread over the gardens and all such open pasture lands of New South Wales and South Australia as abound in grasses and small plants, upon the seeds of which it chiefly subsists. It is particularly abundant in the neighbourhood of Sydney; even in the Botanic Garden numbers may always be seen flitting from border to border. It is easily domesticated, and is of a lively disposition in captivity, even old birds becoming perfectly reconciled after a few days. In the autumn it is gregarious, and Mr. Caley states it often assembles in such large flocks, that he has killed above forty at a shot; in the spring they are mostly seen in pairs, and then build their large and conspicuous nest, which is formed of dead grass, lined with thistle down, in any low bush adapted for a site, but in none more frequently than in the beautiful plant figured in the accompanying Plate (Leptospermum squarrosum) which was made by Mrs. Gould during our stay in Sydney; and I feel assured it will be acknowledged, that in delineations of flowers as well as of birds her pencil was directed by a hand at once masterly and truthful.

The eggs are five or six in number, of a beautiful fleshy white, seven lines long by five and a half lines broad.

Crown of the head bluish grey; upper surface, wings and tail olive-brown; under surface white; patch over the eye and rump crimson; irides brownish red; eyelash narrow, naked and black; bill fine blood-red, with the ridge of the upper and the lower part of the under mandible black; legs yellowish white.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

ESTRELDA? PHAETON.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

ESTRELDA PHAETON. Crimson Finch.

Bengali Phaéton (Fringilla phaeton), Homb. et Jacq. Ann. des Sci. Nat., tom. vi. p. 314.

Ing-a-dȁm-oon, Aborigines of Port Essington.

Red Finch, Residents of Port Essington.

In a paper addressed by MM. Hombron and Jacquinot to the Académie des Sciences on the 9th of August, 1841, entitled, “Déscription de plusieurs Oiseaux nouveaux ou peu connus, provenant de l’expédition autour du monde faite sur les corvettes l’Astrolabe et la Zélée,” I find the characters of a Finch, which, although the colouring does not quite agree with that of the bird here figured, I have little doubt is identical with it. I am the more inclined to consider them to be identical from the circumstance of MM. Hombron and Jacquinot’s bird having been collected at Raffles’ Bay, a locality closely bordering that in which Mr. Gilbert procured the specimens in my own collection, and who states that “this bird is an inhabitant of moist grassy meadows, particularly where the Pandanus (Screw Pine) is abundant. It is generally found feeding among the grass, and when disturbed invariably takes to those trees. From July to November it is to be observed in large flocks, sometimes of several hundreds; but although great numbers were shot during this period, not more than three or four were obtained in the rich plumage. About the latter part of November they were either in pairs or in small companies, not exceeding six in number; the males decorated with their rich red and spotted dress.”

In its form it is in every respect closely allied to the Estrelda temporalis of the southern coast, and it doubtless as closely assimilates in its actions, economy and nidification, of which at present nothing is known.

The stomach is somewhat muscular, and the food consists of grass and other small seeds.

Crown of the head deep bluish black; lores, line over the eye, sides of the face and ear-coverts rich crimson red; under surface crimson red, spotted on the flanks with white; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts black; back of the neck and rump dark brownish grey; back and wings brownish grey, each feather crossed near the extremity with a band of deep crimson red; upper tail-coverts and two centre tail-feathers deep red; the remainder deep red at the base, passing into brown at the tip; bill rich carmine, bounded at the base by a band of greyish white about one-tenth of an inch in breadth; hinder part of the tarsi and inside of the feet ochre yellow; front of tarsi and upper surface of the feet ochre yellow, strongly tinged with hyacinth-red.

The female, who is rather smaller than her mate, is brown above, a few of the feathers on the back and the wing-coverts crossed with red as in the male; lores, line over the eye, sides of the face, chin, upper tail-coverts and tail as in the male, but not quite so brilliant; breast and flanks greyish brown, the latter ornamented with a few small spots of white; centre of the abdomen buff.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

ESTRELDA RUFICAUDA: Gould.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter lithog. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

ESTRELDA RUFICAUDA, Gould. Red-tailed Finch.