THE BLACK-HKAnnn SISKIN. 43 



cheeks and body below pale grey, slightly greenish on the throat; 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts whitish. Length 4 A inches. 



Mr. W. H. Hudson says that this Siskin " is extremely common 

 throughout the entire length of the Argentine country from Brazil to 

 Patagonia. In the Buenos-Ayrean district it probably has a partial 

 migration, as small flocks are seen to arrive in Spring, but further 

 south, in Patagonia, it appears to be strictly resident. In settled 

 districts they are always more abundant than in the woods, and they 

 have a special predilection for poplar groves, and always prefer a poplar 

 to build in. They go in small flocks, seldom more than about a dozen 

 birds together, have a rapid, undulating flight, feed chiefly on the 

 ground, like most Finches, and also frequently alight in the seediug- 

 time on plants like the lettuce and Sanchus asper (the Sow-Thistle) and 

 clinging to the stem, dexterously pick off the seed, scattering the 

 down about them in a little cloud. They are very tuneful, restless, 

 quick in their motions, apparently always in a light-hearted merry 

 mood. Being much admired for their song, they are often kept in 

 cages ; and certainly, for cheerfulness and constancy in singing, they 

 take the foremost place amongst the Finches ; but there is little ex- 

 pression in the song, which is composed of a variety of short 

 twittering notes, uttered with great rapidity, as the bird sits perched 

 on a twig or undulates from tree to tree. Usually the notes flow in 

 a continuous stream, but occasionally the bird sings in a different 

 manner, making a pause of two or three seconds of silence after every 

 eight or ten short notes. When the female is on the nest the male some- 

 times perches near her amongst the leaves and sings sotto vocc, apparently 

 for her pleasure only, the notes being so low that, at a distance of ten 

 yards, they can scarcely be heard." 



"The nest is usually placed between the angle formed by a small 

 branch and the bole of the tree, and is a deep, well-made structure 

 composed of many materials, and lined with horse-hair, down, or 

 feathers. The eggs are five, very small for the bird, pure white, and 

 so frail that it is not easy to take them from the nest without breaking 

 them." 



"While engaged in building, the birds constantly utter a low, soft 

 trilling note; and when the nest is approached they break out into 

 long, somewhat reedy notes, resembling those of the Canary, expressive 

 of alarm or curiosity." 



My bird was fed, on the journey to England, on canary, German 

 rape, flax, and hemp. In my opinion, if thistle and teazel could have 

 been substituted for the flax, and less hemp given, there would have 



