POEPHILA PERSONAT A, Gould.
Masked Grass Finch.
Poephila personata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.
T h i s beautiful and well-marked species o f Grass Finch is also a native o f the north-west coast o f Australia,
where several specimens were shot by Mr. Gilbert during an excursion from P o rt Essington towards the
interior of the country, who states that it inhabits grassy meadows near streams, feeding on grass-seeds,
&c. I t was tolerably abundant, being congregated in flocks of from twenty to forty. When on the wing it
utters a very feeble cry o f twit, twit, twit, hut a t other times pours forth a drawn-out mournful note, like
that of the Estreldas.
The sexes are scarcely to be distinguished by their outward appearance, both possessing the masked face;
the female is, however, rather less in size, and her markings are not quite so brilliant or decided as those
of the male.
Base o f the bill- surrounded by an irregular ring of deep velvety black; crown o f the head, upper surface
and wings light cinnamon-brown; lower p a rt o f the abdomen banded with deep velvety b lack ; lower
p art o f the rump and under tail-coverts white; upper tail-coverts white, striped longitudinally with black
on the outer side ; tail deep blackish brown; irides o f the old birds red, o f the young birds dark brown ;
bill bright orange ;. legs and feet fleshy red.
In some specimens the upper and lower ridges o f the bill are black, while in others the basal half only is
orange, the remaining portion being brown.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.