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AMADINA GOULDIA.

Gouldian Finch.

Amadina Gouldie, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 23, 1844

Nove ty in itself has attractions, but when with novelty, beauty and elegance are combined, the attractions
With this trite observation I here introduce to the notice of the ornitho-
logist a species not only the most beautiful of the family to which it belongs, but which has its plumage

adorned with colours and markings that render it conspicuously different from every other bird known ; it

are augmented beyond measure.

is in fact beyond the power of my pen to describe or my pencil to portray anything like the splendour of
the changeable hues of the lilac band which crosses the breast of this little gem, or the scarcely less beautiful
green of the neck and golden-yellow of the breast, the latter colour being only equalled, certainly not sur-
passed, by the crest-feathers of the Golden Pheasant. Whenever this bird becomes so far common as to
form a part of our preserved collections, or to add a living lustre to our aviaries, it cannot fail to be-
come a general favourite. It is therefore with feelings of no ordinary nature that I have ventured to
dedicate this new and lovely little bird to the memory of her, who in addition to being a most affectionate
wife, for a number of years laboured so hard and so zealously assisted me with her pencil in my various
works, but who, after having made a circuit of the globe with me, and braved many dangers with a courage
only equalled by her virtues, and while cheerfully engaged in illustrating the present work, was by the Divine
will of her Maker suddenly called from this to a brighter and better world ; and I feel assured that in dedi-
cating this bird to the memory of Mrs. Gould, I shall have the full sanction of all who were personally
acquainted with her, as well as of those who only knew her by her delicate works as an artist.

A single specimen of apparently an adult male and two immature birds are all that ever came under my
notice ; for the former my especial thanks are due to my esteemed friend Benjamin Bynoe, Esq., Surgeon
R.N., late of H.M.S. the Beagle, who obtained it in the Victoria River, on the north-west coast of Australia.
The young birds were procured by Mr. Gilbert at Port Essington. These three examples are probably all
that have been collected, and from the remote situation of the country of which it is a native, a long period
is likely to elapse before the species becomes common. i :

‘This would seem to be a very local species,” says Mr. Gilbert, “for I only met with it on Greenhill
Island at the head of Van Diemen’s Gulf, where it inhabited the edges of the mangroves and thickets : when
flew to the topmost branches of the loftiest gums, a habit I have not before observed

disturbed it invariably oe
Its note is a very mournful sound, added to a double twit. Those I

in any other member of the genus. ae |

observed were feeding among the high grass in small families of from four to seven in number, and were
j oy see) z Q S i ; eo a.

iscular, and the food consists of grass and other seeds.

very shy. The stomach is tolerably mt alfiedl
The adult has the forehead, lores, ear-coverts and throat, deep velvety-black ; from behind the eye, rounc
Zi ji ay

the occiput, and down the sides of the neck, a m oan oe
across the breast a broad band of shining lilac-purple, below which
C Ss tie

bill flesh-white at the base, tipped with blood-red ; feet flesh-

ark of verdigris-green, gradually blending into the yellowish

green of the upper surface and wings ;
all the under surface is shining wax-yellow ;
colour.

The young bird has the head grey; upper
primaries and tail brown ; irides dark brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

surface light olive ; under surface pale buff; chin white ;