THK GRKV SINGING FINCH. 37 



the playing of a flute by a skilled professional, and the tooting on 

 a tin- whistle by a street urchin. 



The Grey Singing Finch inhabits North-Bastern and Equatorial 

 Africa. 



The general colouring of the upper surface is smoky grey, with 

 dull brown centres to the feathers ; the runip white, separated from 

 the grey of the back by a blackish band; upper tail-coverts and tail 

 feathers brown, with greyer edges ; lesser wing-coverts ash grey, 

 remainder of wing brown, the feathers with paler edges ; crown of 

 head and front of neck pale smoky grey, distinctly streaked with brown ; 

 back of neck without streaks ; throat ashy whitish, browner on the 

 front of the chest, where there are a few dusky spots ; breast and 

 abdomen white, the flanks slightly greyish and streaked with brown ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries greyish brown, with whitish edges ; 

 flight feathers below smoky, their inner edges yellowish grey. Length 

 4, 3 inches. Beak and legs flesh brownish, iris brown. 



The sexes appear to be absolutely alike ; but Mr. Abrahams un- 

 hesitatingly selected a pair for me, and his selection proved to be correct ; 

 he informed me at the time, that the only reliable difference was in 

 the white centre to the throat of the male, showing as a pure white 

 spot when the bird was singing, but not easy to distinguish at other 

 times. 



This pair of Grey Singing Finches nested in a German Canary- 

 cage, building a very neat little structure of scraps of moss, grass roots, 

 and cow-hair, on the floor of the cage ; unhappily the hen died with 

 her second egg. I subsequently picked up two additional specimens 

 for a few shillings, both of which eventually proved to be cock birds ; 

 so that nry chance of breeding this delightful singer was, for the time, 

 at an end : not so, however, the music. 



The Grey Singing Finch, in his disposition, is a veritable Paddy ; 

 he fights incessantly with his own species, for the mere fun of the 

 thing, singing all the time and only pausing to give fuller vigour to 

 his melody. To see three of these little grey and white birds, all near 

 together, wagging their heads and pouring forth a volume of sweet 

 sound ; then darting off, all at once, and fluttering round one another 

 like butterflies, is a treat indeed. 



After an apparently desperate encounter, in which the combatants 

 have perhaps lost several small feathers from the crown or neck, they 

 will be seen amicably feeding together from the same hopper : at 

 night, too, they frequently roost close together ; evidently being on 

 the best of terms with each other. 



