The VIOLET ORGANIST, or GUTTARAMA (_Euphone violacea_), the bird we
select to represent its kindred, is four inches long, and seven inches
broad; the wing measures two and a quarter inches, and the tail one and a
half inches. In the male the brow and the whole of the lower part of the
body are bright yellow, the upper parts, from the forehead downwards, of
a blueish violet; the wing-covers are shaded with a pretty green, as are
the edges of the quills, the inner border of the latter being white; the
upper side of the tail is blueish green, its lower surface black, and the
two exterior feathers white upon the inner web and shaft. The female is
of a sad olive colour upon the back, and yellowish grey underneath; the
wing and tail feathers are brownish grey. The young birds resemble the
mother; the second coat of the young male is greyish blue, spotted with
yellow on the lower parts of the body.
We are but little acquainted with the habits of this species, though it
is frequently caged, and is in all respects an elegant, lively little
creature, hopping and flying with great animation, and possessing a full
and agreeable voice. The Guttaramas subsist chiefly on fruit, preferring
that of the orange, banana, or guava trees, to which they do great
damage. In Guiana they are also extremely troublesome by reason of the
injury they do to the fields of rice, over which they sometimes fly in
small flocks.
* * * * *
The BRIGHT-COATED FINCHES (_Amadinæ_), a group to which we shall next
call attention, comprehends many brightly plumaged, compactly formed,
small birds, inhabiting Africa, Southern Asia, and Australia. They are
distinguished by the absence of a hook at the end of their somewhat
thick beaks; their wings are of moderate length, their tail is short
and graduated, the two middle feathers often extending far beyond the
rest, and their legs are comparatively weak. The males are much more
brilliantly coloured than their mates, although the latter are by no
means deficient in this respect, so that their gay presence lends
an indescribable charm to the districts they inhabit. The song of
these beautiful Finches is by no means equal to their external gifts,
nevertheless they seem anxious to atone for all deficiencies by the
zeal and industry with which they pour forth their notes throughout
the greatest part of the year; their voices are extremely varied, some
having a curious kind of song, that has the effect of being produced
by ventriloquism. All parts of the country are frequented by these busy
birds, who usually keep together in tolerably numerous parties. When
flying, they dart along with the velocity of an arrow, beating the air
rapidly with their wings--in short, whether upon the ground, hopping
about among the bushes, or hanging like Titmice from the branches, they
prove themselves at least the equals of any of their congeners. Their
breeding season commences with the spring, though some species lay much
later in the year; the brood consists of from three to six eggs, and the
young are fed exclusively upon insects, which, together with a variety
of seeds, constitute the food of the parent birds. The enemies of these
pretty creatures are extremely numerous, man himself being first upon
the list, in revenge for the mischief done to his fruit and corn. Some
Falcons subsist entirely upon them, and a variety of other destroyers
kill and devour them in large numbers.
[Illustration: THE GUTTARAMA (_Euphone violacea_).]