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obtained in this country to be worth troubling about, and the

White-throated Seed-eater is not a pleasing cage-bird, but is

common at Colesberg, and obtainable at Port Elizabeth. The

widely distributed and common Sulphur Seed-eater, the “ Geel

Savsie ” of the Colonists, is rarely imported, and though hardly

as pretty as our hen Greenfinch, and with not a very fine song,

might be worth bringing home. The St. Helena Seed-eater, the

“ Kleine Seisje ” of the Colonists, is abundant and gregarious

throughout the Colony, and ought to be, but is not, largely

imported ; it is the best songster of all the larger Serins and the

most beautiful. The Cape Canary ( Set inns canicollis) is common

throughout the Colony and would be worth importing to cross

with the domesticated Canary, as it produces good songsters

when thus hybridized. The Totta Siskin, known as “ Pietje

Canarie,” which has, of late, been imported from the Cape, is

another common and easily obtainable species, the male of which

is said to breed readily with hens of the familiar cage-Canary.


Of the Buntings, the Cape Bunting ( Fringillaria capensis)

could doubtless be secured ; it is rather an effectively coloured

bird ; the Eark-like Bunting (E. impetuani) is common about

Nel’s Poort and has “ a short lively song.” It has been obtained

at King William’s Town. The pretty Gold-breasted Bunting {F.

flaviventris ) may be obtained near King William’s Town, Grahams-

town, Eland’s Post, Natal, and is common on the Linipopo, in

Masliona and Damara Lands.


Some years since I called attention to the fact that all

Larks are largely seed-eaters; now in the case of the Finch-

Larks of Africa (. Pyrrhulauda ) the food consists almost entirely,

or entirely, of seeds. The only species of Pyrrhulauda hitherto

imported would seem to be the White-headed Finch-Lark

(. P. verticalis ), specimens of which have been in the possession of

the London Zoological Gardens. It is common near Colesberg

and in Damara and Great Namaqua Lands. Smith’s Finch-Lark

(P. smithii ), which occurs at Colesberg, on the left bank of the

Orange River, and is common on the banks of the Limpopo

might doubtless be secured, as well as the Dark-naped Finch

Lark {P. ausifalls), which is found near King William’s Town ant

is plentiful near Colesberg. I do not, however, think that these

sombrely-coloured little birds will ever be very popular amongst

aviculturists, as the}^ do not seem to be gifted with song.


Of the Long-billed Larks; Smith’s Lark ( Certhilauda

game la), said to be a very noisy bird, might be obtained in the

northern parts of the Colony ; the Grey-collared Lark ( Alcemon



