DONACOLA PECTORALIS, Gow.
White-breasted Finch.

Amadina pectoralis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 127.

 

For two beautiful specimens of this entirely new Finch I am indebted to E. Dring, Esq., of the Beagle,
who procured them on the north-west coast of Australia: no notes of their habits or economy having been
forwarded with the specimens, I am unable to give any particulars respecting them.

In structure and in the general disposition of its markings, the White-breasted Finch offers a considerable
resemblance to the Donacola castaneothoraw of the eastern coast, and in all probability they are analogues of
each other, in accordance with a law which appears very generally to prevail among the birds of Australia ;
each great division of this vast country having its own peculiar species.

Crown of the head, all the upper surface and wings delicate greyish brown; the tips of the wing-coverts
very minutely spotted with white ; tail blackish brown; throat and ear-coverts glossy blackish purple ; chest
crossed by a band of feathers, black at the base, largely tipped with white; abdomen and under tail-coverts
vinous grey; ‘flanks ornamented with a few feathers similar to those crossing the breast ; bill bluish horn-
colour ; feet flesh-colour.

The figures in the Plate are of the natural size, and are supposed to represent the two sexes ; the principal

figure the male.