The Green Singing Finch. 165 



male seemed very anxious to induce her to do so, and frequently 

 chased her about the enclosure until she fell exhausted to the 

 ground. 



CHAPTER LVIL 



THE GEEEN SINGING PINCH. 



r I ^HIS pretty little bird only requires to be known, in order 

 -L to be appreciated as he deserves : he is about the same size 

 as the Siskin, a bird which he greatly resembles, with the 

 exception that he had not so much black on the head. 



The top of the head, black, wings and tail are greyish green, 

 the throat, breast and belly greenish yellow, which is also the 

 colour of the rump and face. 



The female is almost exactly like her mate, but is just a very 

 little greyer on the back. 



They make an open nest in a bush, and lay about four bluish- 

 white eggs, which are sometimes speckled with a number of small 

 spots of a darker shade of blue, and sometimes quite plain. 



Mules have been produced between these little birds and 

 the Canary. 



The scientific name of the Green Singing Pinch is Fringilla 

 Butyracea, in allusion to its colour, while the Germans name 

 it der Hartlauls, oder der Mozamhik-zeisig, and the French, le 

 Chmiteur vert ou le Clianteur de Mozamlique. It is a native 

 of the western coast of Africa, but has been naturalized at 

 St. Helena, whence it is often called the St. Helena seed-eater. 



The song of this little bird is very sweet, and is, moreover, 

 continued during the summer and autumn months. Mr. Wiener 

 pronounces the Green Singing Finch to be ''the best songster 

 among the small foreign Finches," a verdict which I cordially 

 endorse. 



