The sexes present no external difference, and may be thus described:—circle surrounding the eyes, lores, and a line crossing the forehead black; all the upper surface, wings and tail olive-brown, crossed by numerous narrow crescentic lines of black; rump and base of the tail-feathers shining scarlet; all the under surface grey, crossed by numerous narrow crescentic lines of black; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts black; tips of the primaries and tail-feathers brown without bars; bill crimson, becoming paler at the base of the upper mandible; irides very dark brown; eyelash beautiful light blue; feet flesh-colour. The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size. [Illustration: ESTRELDA OCULEA. _J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._ ] ESTRELDA OCULEA. Red-eared Finch. _Fringilla oculea_, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l’Astrolabe, Zool., Part I. p. 211; Ois., pl. 18. fig. 2. _Jeȅ-ree_, Aborigines of the lowland, and _Dweȑ-den-ngool-gnan̏-neer_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. _Native Sparrow_, Colonists of Swan River. This species is abundant in many parts of the colony of Swan River on the western coast, but has not as yet been discovered elsewhere. Like its near ally the _Estrelda bella_ it inhabits open grassy glades studded with thickets, particularly in moist swampy districts and along the borders of lakes and rivers. Its food consists of small grass-seeds procured among the herbage on the ground. It is not a migratory species, and its place of resort appears to be merely changed when, the supply of food being exhausted, it becomes necessary to seek it elsewhere. Mr. Gilbert states that “it is a solitary species and is generally found in the most retired spots in the thickets, where its mournful, slowly drawn-out note only serves to add to the loneliness of the place. Its powers of flight, although sometimes rapid, would seem to be feeble, as they are merely employed to remove it from tree to tree. The natives of the mountain districts of Western Australia have a tradition that the first bird of this species speared a dog and drank its blood, and thus obtained its red bill.” The sexes are so much alike that dissection is necessary to distinguish the male from the female. The beautiful patch of scarlet feathers behind the eye, together with the rich colouring of the bill, assists very materially in relieving the more sombre but delicate markings of the remainder of the body.