DONACOLA PECTORALIS, Gould.
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 castaneothorax 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.