176 SERIN US. 



brown; tarsi and feet brown" (Stark). Total length 4-9 inches, culmen 

 0-35, wing 2-7, tail 2, tarsus 0-6. Cape (Sir A. Smith). 



Females have the throat apparently paler, more ashy and more strongly 

 striped, and the sides of body washed with brown. 



This species may be readily recognised, not only by its slender bill, but 

 also by the tail being slightly rounded and having a white tip to each of the 

 feathers. 



The Cape Siskin inhabits Cape Colony. 



This is the only known representative of the genus 

 Ghrysomitris in South Africa. According to Layarcl the 

 " Pietje Canarie," as it is called by the Dutch colonists, 

 frequents open and ploughed lands. It is said that the cock 

 will breed with the hen Yellow Canary in captivity; but the 

 hen will not breed with the male of the other species, possibly 

 from the unwillingness of the wild hen to build in a cage. It 

 was a very common species at Bast London. 



The late Dr. Stark wrote : " It is of somewhat local dis- 

 tribution, abundant in certain localities and quite absent from 

 others, apparently equally well adapted to its habits. It may 

 be often met with on bush-covered hill sides, and appears to 

 prefer hilly to more level ground. It feeds on small seeds, 

 buds of trees and insects. The nest is placed in a bush from 

 2 to 4 feet above the ground and is built of grass-stems, small 

 rootlets and pliant twigs, lined with down and occasionally 

 a few hairs. The eggs are four or five in number, pale bluish 

 green sparingly spotted and sometimes zoned with reddish 

 brown of two shades They average 072 x 0'54." 



Genus IV. SEBINUS. 



Bill short and stout, much swollen for the basal half and then com- 

 pressed towards the tip, causing the sides to be much bent ; nostrils basal 

 and hidden. Wing moderate, the shortest secondary falling short of the tip 

 of the wing by a little more than the length of the tarsus ; second and third 

 primaries generally the longest. Tail moderate and slightly forked, more 

 than four times the length of the culmen. Legs and feet moderate. Nest 

 cup-shaped. 



