CANARIES AND SEEDEATERS 



147 



Districts, Orange Free State, and Pretoria District, Trans- 

 vaal, in which latter locality it is known as the " Bergie." 

 It is usually found in small flocks, or in pairs. 



A favourite little songbird is the dainty little Mountain 

 Canary (Alario alario) familiarly called the " Black-head '' 

 by the schoolboys of the Eastern Cape Province. It thrives 



Fig. 83. — Mountain Canary. 



readily in captivity, is of gentle habits, and inter-breeds 

 with the Cape and Common Canaries. It is essentially a 

 Cape Province bird, but ranges into Great Namaqualand, 

 and the Orange Free State as far north as Bloemfontein. 

 The males are of a chestnut-red above with part of the wing 

 and entire head black ; the sides of the neck and under 

 surface white excepting the throat and centre of breast which 

 is black, forming a " tie." Length about 4| to 4f inches. 



