196 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



Iris very dark brown ; bill greyish-brown above and lighter below ; feet 

 greyish-brown. 



Total length 4-25 inches, wing 2'75, culmen -20, tarsus -SO. 

 Adult female much greyer and duller in coloration than the male. 



Observations. — Young birds are browner, with but little yellow in their 

 plumage. 



The Serin is one of the commonest birds in North and Central 

 Tunisia, both as a resident and as a migrant. It also occurs in South 

 Tunisia, although not quite so plentifully as further north. During 

 winter and early spring large flocks of these little Finches may be 

 seen ranging over the semi-cultivated plains of the Atlas districts, 

 feeding upon the seeds of thistles and other wild plants, often in the 

 company of Goldfinches and Linnets. By the end of March these 

 flocks disperse, most of the birds intending to nest in the Regency 

 having already paired before that date. The species appears to be 

 an early breeder, and I have found nests with well-grown young birds 

 in them as early as March 24th. In high mountainous districts, 

 however, the Serin may be found breeding late on in the summer, 

 and Mr. Meade-Waldo found nests containing eggs in the Maroccan 

 Atlas in the month of July. In both Marocco and Algeria this little 

 Finch is as abundant as it is in Tunisia. From Tripoli I have no 

 specimens of it. 



Besides frequenting open plains and low mountain-sides, the Serin 

 is constantly to be found in gardens and orchards, particularly during 

 the nesting season, when it appears to be less shy than at other times 

 of the year. It feeds almost entirely on seeds. Its flight is rather 

 undulating and distinctly powerful for the size of the bird. The notes 

 of this little Finch are rather poor and by no means melodious, its 

 continuous and monotonous twitter at times resembling more the 

 sound made by the " Cicala" cricket than the song of a bird. The 

 syllables " zi-zl" repeated several times render the song fairly well. 

 Nevertheless, the bird may often be seen in a cage in most 

 Mediterranean towns, where the species is common. 



The Serin does not seem to be very particular in its choice of a 

 site for its nest, at times selecting a low bush or hedgerow not more 

 than three feet in height, at others choosing the branch of a tree 

 over twenty feet from the ground. The nest, which is generally 



