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THE MAGPIE MANNIKIN,
Amaurcsfhes fn'iigiHoidcs, LAFR.
»J^HE so-called "Pied Grass-Fincli" inhabits Africa, with the exception of the
north-east, soiith-west and south of the continent. This is, of course, a true
Mannikin and is more correctly named by the French fLa plus gnnuic iVoiuui/c
and Ahiic grandcj than by the English :* for, though the whole of the Prachtfinken
or Ornamental Finches maybe correctly designated "Grass-Finches"; the
more typical forms of the latter group, from an aviarist's point of view, are
represented by such genera as Eyythrui'd, Pocphila^ Stci^aitoplcura^ Tcaviopyo'ia
Amadina, Stidoptcra, and perhaps Aidaiiosyiic; thoTigh the latter is without doubt
^'ery close to the true Mannikins, with which indeed it interbreeds.
The upper surface of this bird is deep chocolate-brown, the front of the back,
scapulars and median wing co^^erts with ^vhite shaft-streaks; the head including
the sides of the neck and throat, the croup, tail-coverts and tail-feathers black
glossed with steel-green; outer tail-feathers with white fringe to the inner web:
under surface of body from the throat white, somewhat sordid towards the vent;
a large purplish-black patch on the sides of the breast, sides of body with a clear
liver-brown patch streaked externally with black and edged with wdiite; thighs
partly black ; under wdng-coverts and axillaries dull buff. Length inches.
Beak large and Weaver-like in character, the upper mandible dark blue, the lower
mandible clear leaden grey ; legs leaden grey; iris dark brown.
The female is very slightly inferior in size, with a smaller brown patch on
the sides of the body.
I have been unable to discover anything respecting the wild life of this bird;
but its habits probably closely resemble those of the other Mauuikins.
Dr. Russ objects to the name fringilloides as a barbarism and proposes to call
the bird Spcrmestes fringillhta. He says that he first received a single example in
• The dealens' name of " Magijie Jlaiinikiii " is confusing, from tlie fact that the Bengalee has been called
the "Pied ]\Ianiiikin " ; nevertheless J jjrefer to nse it.
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