235 



closely resembles the well known Grey Singing Finch 

 but differs from the latter in having some dark brown 

 markings on the throat and a bright yellow rump. 

 Hence it is more aptly and usually called in this 

 •country the " Yellow-rumped Serin." 



This species seems to be only occasionally im- 

 ported and then only in small numbers. The first 

 I ever saw in private hands were brought over by 

 a member of the Avicultural Society in the summer of 

 1905, and I was glad of an opportunity of adding them 

 to my small collection. 



With just one exception they reached me in very 

 nice condition and proved to be two males and five 

 females. After spending the autumn indoors they 

 were turned out last January — one pair in a very small 

 covered aviary, kept fairly warm by hot-water pipes, 

 which I recentlj' constructed (and which, I may re- 

 mark, has proved a total failure as far as breeding is 

 concerned), and the remainder in an open out-door 

 aviary. 



As a rule the South African Serins commonly 

 imported into this country seem to accommodate them- 

 selves to our seasons and to choose our summer for 

 their nesting operations, but Serijius angolensis appears 

 to be an exception, for those I turned out at once 

 paired and began to look for nesting site. 



The pair in the covered aviary began to sit on the 

 ■6th February in a nest-box hanging on the wall and 

 another pair in the out-door aviary only a day or two 

 later also in a nest box. Here again one may observe 

 some divergence from the ordinary habits of the 

 Serins. I have had nests of the Grey Singing Finch, 

 ■Green Singing Finch, Grey-necked Serin, and Sul- 



