34 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



specimens of this bird, in breeding plumage, from Colesberg ; he says 

 that it sings sweetly. Mr. T. E. Atmore likewise procured it near 

 Eland's Post and Grahamstown. Mr. Ayres, writing from the Transvaal, 

 states that he met with a small company of five individuals amongst 

 the low thorns in the Mariqua district and Rustenberg. Mr. F. Gates 

 procured a specimen at Tati, Matabele Land, and Mr. Jameson occasion- 

 ally met with it in small flocks during his expedition to the Mashoona 

 country. Mr. Anderson writes : ' This species is common in the 

 neighbourhood of the Okanvango, and is also found in Damara Land, 

 extending to the south of that country. On January 5th, 1887, I found 

 a nest of this Finch at Omapju ; it was situated in a kamel-thorn bush, 

 about four feet from the ground, and was composed of grass, lined with 

 softer grass internally : it contained three eggs much incubated.' 

 Senor Anchieta has it from Biballa and Caconda : it is called Kabilo 

 at the latter place, and Kianja at the former." 



Dr. Russ says that the instinct of love in this bird is not so hearty 

 as in the Ornamental Finches ; " in graceful humour, the male feeds 

 his hen with dove-like beak from the crop, but immediately afterwards 

 chases and pursues her again.. Call-note resounding, warbling, piercing, 

 varying to loud, melodious, flute-like sounds. Nest formed in a nest- 

 basket and other things, husks, Hart/ Canary cages, or the like, never 

 openly in a bush ; constructed of fine grasses, bast and strips of paper, 

 woollen and other threads, horse-hair, a few feathers and tow, and lined 

 with grasses and rootlets. Laying four eggs, yellowish-white, for the 

 most part spotted with buff. Time of incubation, thirteen days. Young, 

 down whitish ; leave the nest in about twenty days. The hen builds, 

 being tempted, after the manner of Finches, by the male carrying in 

 materials ; also incubates alone ; the young fed in common by the pair, 

 and after their flight by the male only. 



Nesting- time, September to the new year; afterwards calm and silent, 

 the wedded pair scarcely care any longer for one another. Graceful, 

 lively, enduring, it nests readily and surely, flying freely, in the bird- 

 room or in the breeding cage. Unfriendly towards its own species and 

 near allies. Mules between it and Canaries and Grey Singing Finches 

 have been reared." 



In March, 1897, a hen built in a cigar-box in my outer covered 

 aviary, laid five pure white eggs and sat steadily; but, at the end of 

 about ten days all the eggs disappeared, having probably been stolen 

 by a mouse. In the following month a pair in my bird-room took 

 possession of a small nest built by a Canary in the usual square box 

 hung upon the wire netting; on the i8th of the month, the nest 



