DONACICOLA NIGRICEPS, Ram sey.
JOm deb hW .ffut-, deLebluh'. Walter, Imp.
DONACICOLA NIGRICEPS, Rammp.
The Black-cheeked Finch.
Dondcola nigriceps, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. i. p. 393 (1876);—Sharpe, Journ. Pr. Linn. Soc. xiii.
p. 601 (1877), xiv. p. 688, no. 38 (1878); Ramsay, op. cit. in. p. 289 (1879), iv. p. 100, no. 149
(1879).
Donacicola nigriceps, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, xvi. p. 192, no. 9 (1880).—Id. Om. della Papuasia &c. ii.
p. 441 (1881).
T his little Finch appears to represent in South-eastern New Guinea the Donacicola castaneothorax which I
described from Australia, and which, according to Mr. E . P. Ramsay, occurs all over the eastern p art of
th at continent, from New South Wales to Cape York, and is also found in the Gulf of Carpentaria, but
whose place is taken in South-eastern New Guinea by the present species. I t is very closely allied to
D. castaneothorax, but may be told at a glance by its black head only slightly spotted with ashy, and still
more distinctly by its entirely black cheeks, I-have only seen a very few specimens from the immediate
vicinity o f P o rt Moresby, where it was procured by Mr. Octavius Stone.; and I have not seen any
examples from the interior o f South-eastern New Guinea. Its habits and mode of life are doubtless
similar to those o f the other Australian Finches o f the genus Donacicola.
A d u l t s General colour above delicate burnt-sienna, with ashy shading to the feathers o f the b a c k ; the
rump and upper tail-coverts orange, with dusky bases to the feathers; tail-feathers pointed, dark brown
with straw-yellow margins, the-two centre feathers almost entirely straw-yellow; head and nape chocolate-
brown, veined with streaks and spots o f ashy whitish, the nape-feathers edged with the latter c o lo u r; lores,
feathers above the eye, entire sides o f face, and throat uniform black ; fore neck and chest entirely pinkish
fawn-colour, forming a large plastron, succeeded by a band o f black across the lower b r e a s t; centre o f the
body and abdomen pure white, the flanks regularly barred with black and w h ite ; thighs and under tail-
coverts b la c k ; under wing-coverts buffy wh ite; the edge o f the wing minutely barred with black and
w h ite ; wing-coverts above sienna-brown ; quills light brown, externally washed with sienna-brown, ashy
brown below, edged with buff along the inner web. Total length 3 ‘8 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 2, tail 1-55,
tarsus (1*6.
The above description has been taken from Mr. Sharpe’s account o f Mr. Stone’s collection ; and I am
indebted to the latter gentleman for the loan o f the specimens from which the figures in the Plate have
been drawn. They represent two adult birds, o f the natural size.