178 Bird-keeping. 



and the rest of the body a paler tint of the same colour, 

 shaded with olive green on the back ; the quill-feathers 

 and tail being black, broadly edged with yellow. The 

 hen is of a paler colour in the forehead, and has a 

 greener tinge throughout the body. They come from 

 Brazil, and may be fed and treated like Canaries, but 

 require more warmth. In Germany they are often 

 bred in cages, and will sometimes pair with Canaries. 



The CAPE or ST. HELENA CANARY (Fringilla 

 canicollis\ an olive-green bird, shaded with brown and 

 grey, is not very often brought to England, though 

 daily offered for sale in Cape Town by the Malays : it 

 is said to have a pleasant song, and to do well in con- 

 finement. 



There are several other species of African Singing 

 Finches ; the commonest sort, Fringilla Hartlaubi or 

 " Mozambique Siskin," is a green and yellow bird with 

 a greyish-green head, much resembling the Siskin, but 

 with brighter yellow plumage. It is rather a noisy, 

 restless bird, and somewhat pugnacious, often quarrel- 

 ling even with its mate, although caressing her and 

 feeding her from his crop at other times. I had a pair 

 of these birds for some little time ; the hen died, and 

 the cock, which had scarcely uttered a note till then, 

 began to sing all day long, quite overpowering the 

 songs of all the other small birds ; it was so incessant 

 and so loud, that the song was quite wearisome. It 

 is fed on millet and canary -seed, and requires much 



