102 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



It feeds chiefly on seeds, brt also to a Targe extent on 

 insects. Its nest"itf a'ratiier 4ni]'ky structure ,* compactly 

 built of dry Haifa .grass, wool', aixi feathers, and the 

 eggs, which are usually three in number, are said to 

 closely resemble those of the Tree Sparrow." 

 YELLOW SPARROW (Passer luteus). 



Head, neck, and under surface bright yellow ; re- 

 mainder of body above chestnut, shading off into yellow 

 on the rump ; upper tail-coverts ashy -brown ; lesser 

 wing-coverts dull yellow; remainder of wing brownish- 

 black ; the median and greater coverts tipped with buff, 

 tinged with chestnut ; primaries narrowly edged with 

 buff ; secondaries broadly bordered with chestnut ; 

 wings below dull brown, the inner edges of the flights 

 brownish buff ; under wing-coverts mostly white ; tail 

 brown, with paler 'borders ; under tail-coverts brownish 

 buff, with dark centres ; beak horn- coloured ; feet pale 

 brown ; irides brown. Female with the yellow and 

 chestnut of the upper parts replaced by pale brown ; 

 under parts buff, washed with .brown on the sides of 

 head, neck, and body. Habitat, N.E. Africa. 



Von Heuglin again likens this bird in habits, note and 

 eggs to the House -Spa.rrow, but he tells us that the 

 eggs are three or four in number, white spotted with 

 brown.* 



According to Captain Shelley ("Birds of Africa," Vol. 

 III., p. 259). "the Hon. N. C. Rothschild and Mr. 

 A. F. R. Wollaston 'found these beautiful yellow 

 Sparrows exceedingly abundant at Shendi, increasing 

 in numbers towards the end of March. Flocks of fifty 

 and upwards might be seen at any time flying north- 

 wards along the river bank ; they were never seen to 

 proceed in the other direction. They are very partial 

 to water, and might sometimes be seen in enormo'us 

 flocks bathing in the shallow pools of the river/' 



"On the White Nile, according to Mr. 'Witherby, 

 ' This species was common and well distributed. 

 Generally to be found in small flocks of twenty or so. 

 it was very wild, and frequented the bushes and trees 

 in the more open country. When flying it has a 

 twittering Linnet-like note, while in the trees it chirps 

 like a House-Sparrow. We saw an enormous flock of 

 these birds in some tall bushes on the river-bank near 

 Kawa. They were exceedingly restless, rising in clouds 

 from the bushes as we approached and settling again 

 further on, only to rise when we neared them.' " 



Dr. Russ 'lamented that only males of this Sparrow 

 were imported ; he received three from Lintz of Ham- 

 burg, and a fourth from Miss Hagenbeck. It has been 

 exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens, and of late 

 years has been secured by several private students of 

 bird life. Dr. Russ considered it by no means spiteful, 

 but Mr. Seth- Smith came to an opposite conclusion 

 with respect to it. The Yellow Sparrow was bred by 

 Mrs. Howard Williams in 1904, and an account of her 

 experience published in the Avicultural Maaazine 

 N.s., Vol. III., pp. 75-77. 



GOLDEN SPARROW (Passer euchlorus). 

 Bright yellow ; wing coverts paler yellow ; flights and 

 tail-feathers dark brown with pale borders, broad on 

 the secondaries; beak and feet pale broiwn ; irides 

 brown. Female pale brown ; a few dark markings on 

 mantle; sides of head buff, slightly browner on the 

 ear-coverts ; under parts buff, yellower on the throat. 

 Habitat, Arabia and Eastern Abyssinia. 



*ooo' G ' PeroiTal ( The Avicultural Magazine, sr.s Vol IV 



p. 883) says. "I took eg-gs of the latter recently, the nest 



was very roughly built of twigs, partially downed and lined 



Ml cotton. Egg-s, three in number, more round than oblong- 



dirty white streaked and blotched witL. dark chocolate all over " 



According to Colonel Yerbury (see Shelley, " Birds of 

 Africa," Vol. III., p. 260), "one or more big flocks 

 have established themselves now in Aden itself, 'breed- 

 ing in the thorny trees at the tanks and alongside the 

 gaol wall. They are gregarious, and build a thick nest 

 of thorny twigs." This beautiful little Sparrow has 

 been exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens, but 

 Dr. Russ seems to have overlooked the fact, and speaks 

 of it as unlikely to be imported. Now that it has 

 established itself at Aden it seems to be extremely 

 likely to become much better known in the trade than 

 formerly. The Oontessa Baldelli appears to have 

 secured specimens in Italy in 1903. (See Avicultural 

 Magazine, N.S., Vol. I., p. 305.) 



Like all the Sparrows, this species would probably 

 do well upon millet, canary, oats, and hemp, with a 

 few living insects, their larva? and pupae, or spiders ; I 

 should also give a little fruit and soft food. 



Next to the Sparrows Dr. Sharpe has placed the 

 Serins or Canaries ; but, unlless Prof. Ridgway is correct 

 in regarding the Saffron-finches as Buntings,* it seems 

 to me that they, both in their nesting-habits and in 

 the colouring of their eggs, show much closer affinity 

 to the Sparrows; moreover the Rose-finches with their 

 Canary-like call-notes should not, I think, be widely 

 divorced from the Serins. I shall therefore take Sycalis- 

 next. 



SAFFRON-FIXCH (Sycalis ftaveola). 



The cock is of a bright greenish yellow above, the 

 feathers of the mantle and upper back being streaked 

 with dusky lines ; the wing feathers blackish, edged 

 with brighter or duller yellow ; the tail feathers also 

 blackish, with bright yellow outer and paler yellow 

 inner edges ; the crown of head and back of neck 

 bright greenish yellow, the forehead bright orange, 

 the cheeks and throat yellowish orange ; under surface 

 of body -bright yellow, the sides being slightly greenish ; 

 the beak horn brown, the lower mandible being pale ; 

 the iris of eye greyish brown ; the legs brownish flesh 

 coloured ; entire length about 5| inches. The hen is a 

 little duller above and paler below than the cock, but 

 otherwise is very similar. Habitat, Southern Brazil to 

 New Grenada and Venezuela. 



When in the neighbourhood of towns these birds and 

 their close allies frequently build large nests, lined with 

 horsehair, in holes in walls ; but if in the open country 

 they select holes in decayed trees or deserted nests of 

 ether birds in wnich to build. Their eggs, which some- 

 what resemble those of a Sparrow, are usually five in 

 number. In an aviary the cigar-box type of receptacle 

 is preferred for nesting purposes. If kept in a large 

 cage or Crystal Palace aviary with Canaries, the Saffron- 

 finch is unbearable 1 ; he charges the poor things inces- 

 santly, and makes their feathers fly wholesale ; but in 

 a large aviary, with Weavers and other strong species, 

 I have found him very innocent excepting towards 

 members oif his own genus and even amusing, but. 

 especially in the breeding season at roosting time, for 

 then the cock and hen play a game of hide-and-seek, 

 only they always hide in the same receptacle, usually 

 a, German. Canary-cage* ; the cock crouches down in a 

 Canary nest-box whilst the hen hides, suddenly he darts 

 across to the opening, and out she bolts past him and 

 takes possession of his box ; he follows her and she darts 

 back, and so the game goes on until 'both are weary. 

 The song of this bird is not particularly pleasing, though 

 hearty. 



This bird has been called Brazilian Sparrow, but the 

 only respect in which it resembles a Sparrow is in the 



* I made the same suggestion myself many years ago. 



