(MANY-COLOURED GROUND-FINCH.)
[Plate V.]
[Illustration: SALTATRICULA MULTICOLOR.]
+Saltatricula multicolor+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 481
(Paraná); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 32; _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880,
p. 355 (Salta); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 600 (Catamarca).
_Description._--Above grey, faintly tinged with olivaceous on the
head, neck, and back; a short white stripe behind the eye; beneath
the stripe and lower part of neck velvet-black; wings blackish;
tail-feathers black, tipped with white; beneath, throat white,
breast grey; sides and belly pale chestnut; middle of belly and
under tail-coverts white; bill and feet horn-colour: whole length
6·6 inches, wing 2·9, tail 3·0. _Female_ similar, but not so bright.
_Hab._ North and Western Argentina.
To Dr. Burmeister we owe the discovery of this brilliant Finch, as of
so many other Argentine species. He met with it at Paraná, in the bushy
lands east of the city, and obtained five specimens. White found it near
Andalgala in Catamarca, on trees, feeding on the insects in the flowers
and on seeds; and Durnford collected specimens near Salta.
Examples of this species were also obtained by Weisshaupt near Mendoza
(_cf._ Salvin, Ibis, 1880, p. 355).