26 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



THE CAPE CANARY, 



Serinus canicollis, SWAINS. 



UNDER the above trivial name several species of Serin Finches are 

 sold by various dealers; but 5. canicollis is the species properly 

 so designated. Other species which have been so called are 5. batyracea 

 (now called 5. flaviventris) and 5. sulphuratus. Owing to the fact that 

 Herr Wiener, in Cassell's Cage Birds, confounded 5. Jlaviventris with 

 5. icterus, I formerly supposed the larger bird to be the Cape Canary, 

 and described it under that name in my Popular Foreign Cage Birds 

 (Feathered World, 1892, p. 18.) 



The cock Cape Canary above is greenish, tinged with grey, the 

 feathers of the shoulders and back with ill-defined darker centres; the 

 lower back and upper tail-coverts more distinctly yellow and unmarked; 

 the tail feathers blackish, with yellow outer margins; the wing-coverts 

 greenish, with yellower edges to the median and greater coverts; flight 

 feathers black with yellow edges, wider on the ends of the secondaries, 

 which are narrowly tipped with greyish; head above golden yellow, 

 greenish in the centre; back and sides of neck pale grey, spreading as 

 a collar over the shoulders; ear-coverts grey; lores dusky; eyelid, 

 cheeks, throat, and under surface of body golden yellow, brighter on 

 the chest and front of abdomen; sides of body slightly greenish; vent 

 white; under tail-coverts yellow; under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 greyish, edged with yellow; flight feathers below dusky, with greyish 

 inner edges. Length 5, 3 inches. Beak pale horn-colour, darker on the 

 upper mandible; legs greyish brown; iris dark brown. 



The hen is much duller than the cock, all the yellow colouring 

 paler, and the upper parts browner. 



This is a native of South Africa, and is a fine song-bird; it pairs 

 readily with the ordinary Canary (Serinus canariaj, which is now 

 regarded as a race of the Serin-Finch (Serinus serinusj , a friend of 

 mine having succeeded in obtaining two mules at the first pairing of 

 these distinct species. 



Messrs. Sharpe and Layard say that: "The Cape Canary is a 



