92 



ignorance on the part of the large dealers, but simply 

 because there is at the present day so much keenness 

 to buy rarities at the large ports, London, Hamburg, 

 Bordeaux, .etc. that just now it happens that they are 

 more freely imported into other countries than into 

 Germany. By constant search they are indeed to be 

 obtained here, but only at a high price. 



My first specimen of this species, a cock, I 

 obtained from Mr. Geupel White of Leipsic. This 

 bird's colour was a deep red, darker than that of the 

 Common Firefinch, while the crown, back, wings and 

 whole upper surface were a dark greyish-brown, the 

 vent and under tail coverts being deep black; the 

 loral band, rump and upper tail coverts were a clear 

 red. In size it rather exceeded that of the Common 

 Firefinch. 



My bird lived a long time a bachelor in m}' bird- 

 room, never foregathering with his smaller relations, 

 and even when I let out with him a single hen 

 Common Firefinch he showed no wish to pair with 

 her, and eventually died suddenly in the best of 

 plumage and without any discoverable cause. 



Later on, Fraulein Hagenbeck sent some more 

 examples of this species, which had onl\^ just been 

 imported and hence were in bad plumage. They 

 were evidently not in full colour, as the colour of their 

 backs was distinctly tinged with greenish, and there 

 were large white spots on the sides of their breasts, 

 whereas my old cock, (which was also in bad plumage 

 when I received him), never showed any marked spots 

 either at first or after he had moulted and assumed 

 his adult dress. 



Viellot describes the "Senegal! rouge," as he 



