a s i
1' ,'
i'! Í r;
y
J
•i
I 'i: .)
1}
IP
io8 Forcigii Finches iii Captivity.
coloured Onianiental Finch had gained a holding in all Bird-Rooms. From 1875
quite up to the end of 1881, it was entirely missing from the Bird-market; since
then it has always, spasmodically, yet in considerable numbers, been again imported.
In aspect, size and di.sposition it resembles the Tiger-Astrild (Common Amaduvade)
yet, unlike it, is more calm and quiet."
"Hartlaub saw it alive in Loudon even at the beginning of i860; Carl Hagenbeck
is of opinion that it had not been imported into Germauy earlier. A little
crowd of them lived peaceably together in my Bird-Room, usually sat deep in a
bush in a half dark corner, or hopped about in company- upon the earth seeking
for food. Even in the breeding season they were not especially agitated. The
courting like that of the Tiger-Finch ; the male also seeks, with similarly resounding
chirping cry, to drive awa}- every other bird from the \-icinity of the brood. One
of Dr. A. Frenzel's males proved an industrious singer, excitedly trilled a bar,
which it regularly terminated ^^'ith some low-pitched, barely audible sounds. Nest
inartistic, of bast-strips and other soft materials, like a tower, three hands hio-h
and standing obliqueh-, with the entrance leading downwards from above; sometimes
spherical, or elongated-spherical, with side exit. Its nesting with me has
not had very satisfactory results. A brood succeeded so far with Mr. Bargheer in
Basle, that a young one lived until six days old. Soon after that the hen died.
Miss Olga Ponfick secured the first entirely satisfactory hatch. In the early part
of the year 1884 two youngsters were fledged and completely brought up by her in
a flight-cage. The pair subsequently had several other broods and from one of the
nestlings kindly forwarded to me, I give the first description of the young
plumage:—Upperside dark olive-greenish-brown; the croup lively brownish-olivegreen
; tail black ; under wing-coverts isabella-white ; flights ash-grey below; sides
of head and throat bright brownish-isabelline-grey. Breast slightly darker; rest of
under surface grey-yellowish-isabelline; on the flanks at both sides two feathers
delicately banded clear and dark; beak shiny black; eyes black; feet whitish-homgrey.
Size that of the aduft bird."
No additional information is given in Dr. Russ' larger work.
The whole of my seven Green Amaduvades are still living and well as I write,
four in the Bird-room and three were in a large breeding-cage in my Conservatory,
but one e\'ening as already mentioned, we discovered one of these hopping about
outside, and it gave us a rather exciting chase before we could capture it (a hen)
wdien we discovered that its two companions had plucked both back and abdomen
quite bare, I therefore caged it up with my Pileated Finch; the common Amaduvade
would have died, but this (reported more delicate) bird did not seem to mind at all.
I N
The Green Amaciuvade.
The illustrations are from the author's living specimens and skins.
109
if
; \
w
i i . '
!!
'i
! Í
: i: '
id
ii
iill!:
• i; •«
I.
' 'Í i