3i 



quarters out of doors, I should think they would be reach 7 

 breeders. 



Diet : Canary, millet, rape, crushed oats, lettuce seed with 

 spray millet will supply an ample and changeful diet. Spray 

 millet they are very fond of, and fresh, clean green food must be 

 liberally supplied, especially blighty foliage. 



Most of this genus which has been imported so far, appear 

 to be rather delicate on arrival and require careful treatment till 

 they become acclimatised. 



Mr. Astley's praise of this species, " A most charming gay 

 little bird," is most certainly fully merited, and one can only 

 hope that the day is not far distant when they will be as freely 

 imported as the genus Serinus. 



The Rev. H. D. Astley was the first to introduce this 



species to English aviculture. 



# # % 



The Colombian Siskin (vide plate <? and ? ). 

 (Chrysomitris colombiana) . 



As will be seen from the well executed figures on the plate 

 both sexes are handsome and pleasing birds, and they possess the 

 Siskin trait of becoming charming and fearless almost at once. 

 The originals, from which the figures were drawn, were a couple 

 of the cheeriest and gayest little birds I ever came across, and 

 certainly made the most of the limits of the cage they occupied, 

 within the precincts of the Small Bird's House at the Zoo. 



Adult male : Upper surface mostly bluish-black, slightly 

 varied with olive-yellow bases to the feathers of the hind neck and 

 mantle ; the plumage of the rump is varied in the same manner 

 but the bases are white; these variations are scarcely visible 

 when the birds are at rest, but when seen is in an alert 

 position the said variations impart a soft scaled appearance to 

 these parts; wings and tail black; wing-coverts and primaries 

 partially edged and tipped with white; top of head, lores, sides 

 of face and ear-covei ts black ; the entire under-surface is bright 

 yellow; beak greyish-horn colour, darkest at the tip; legs and 

 feet greyish brown. Total length 4^ inches ; tail i£ inches. 



Adult female : Upper surface dull olive-yellow ; wings and 

 tail blackish-olive ; wing-coverts and primaries partially edged 



