Fringilla Bengalus, LINNÆUS; Le Bengali, ou Fringille à ventre
bleu, BUFFON; Der Blaubäuchige Fink, BECHSTEIN.
The length of this bird is four inches and a half, one and a half of
which belong to the tail, which is wedge-shaped; the beak is one third
of an inch long, flattish at the sides, very sharp, and flesh-coloured;
the iris is nut-brown; the feet are light brown; the upper part of the
head and body are ash-coloured, varying to purple; the sides of the
head, the lower part of the neck, the breast, the belly, and the rump,
are light blue. The female has no mark under the eyes. The varieties
which are observable among these birds probably arise from difference of
age: some are found gray on the back, and others on the lower parts of
the body; and some in which the belly inclines to red.
OBSERVATIONS.--The blue-bellied finch is a native of Africa, and comes
principally from Angola and Guinea: it is a pretty lively bird, with
a sweet agreeable song. It is fed with canary-seed, bruised hemp, and
poppy-seed.