214 SERINUS ALARIO. 



Loxia bouvreuil, P. L. S. Miill. S. N. Suppl. p. 154 (1770). 



Crithagra ruficauda, Swains. Ann. in Menag. p. 317 (1837) S. Afr. 



Crithagra bistrigata, Swains, t. c. p. 318 S. Afy. 



Spermophila daubentoni, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 386 (1849). 



Crithagra personata, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 47 (1851). 



Alario aurautia (nee Gm.) Giirney in Anderss. B. Damara, p. 175 (1872). 



Adult male in breeding plumage. Entire head jet black ; back of neck, 

 back, scapulars, least series of wing-covert, median and greater coverts 

 (with the exception of the outermost ones), as well as outer margins of 

 inner secondaries uniform cinnamon ; upper tail-coverts and the tail-feathers 

 darker and redder, the ends of the latter with black angular shaft-marks, 

 largest on the outer ones. Eemainder of the wing, including the entire 

 pinion, primary coverts, primaries and greater portion of the secondaries 

 black ; inner portion of the under coverts cinnamon mottled with white 

 and the axillaries nearly white. Chin and throat black, which colour 

 extends in a fork down the sides of the middle chest ; sides of the neck and 

 the remainder of the under parts white, partially washed with cinnamon on 

 the sides of the abdomen and the under tail-coverts. Iris brown ; bill dark 

 brown ; tarsi and feet reddish brown. Total length 4'7 inches, culmen 0-3, 

 wing 2-7, tail 2-0, tarsus 0-6. Cape (Butler). 



Adult male in winter plumage. Differs in having the sides of forehead, 

 a broad eyebrow, a patch on the cheek, chin and throat white. 



Adult female. With no black on the head or under parts. Upper parts 

 brown with the crown and mantle streaked, of an ashy shade on the fore- 

 head and crown, and of a more rufous colour on the mantle and outer 

 webs of the inner secondaries ; remainder of the wings blackish with the 

 least series of coverts and the ends of the inner greater coverts uniform 

 cinnamon, of the same shade as the lower back and slightly paler than the 

 upper tail-coverts and tail; the black terminal shaft-marks on the tail- 

 feathers are larger than in the males. Sides of forehead, a broad eyebrow, 

 band beneath the eye, hinder part of cheek, chin and throat white ; 

 remainder of the head and neck pale brown ; breast and under tail-coverts 

 buff shaded with pale brown on the chest and sides of body. Total length 

 4-5 inches, culmen 0-3, wing 2-6, tail 1-8, tarsus 0'55. 



Young. Similar to the adult female, but differ in the crown, mantle and 

 chest having broad dark shaft-stripes. S. Africa (Layard). 



The Mountain Canary inhabits .Africa, south from Great 

 Namaqualand and the Zambesi. 



Andersson met with this species only in Great Namaqua- 

 land, in small flocks, near water. According to Stark it is 

 rather local in its distribution, but found in small flocks near 



