72 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



some green food now and then; they had plenty 

 of room to fly about in and grit for the picking up: 

 possibly, however, they required something of a more 

 stimulating nature to induce them to breed, and if I 

 ever had any more, I should feel inclined to allow them 

 ants' eggs, gentles and mealworms in addition to 

 their seed. 



The song of the male is sweet, and fairly well sus- 

 tained, but is loud and mixed with some harsh, grating 

 notes that detract considerably from its merit. The 

 female, according to my experience, is a very silent bird. 



Although the male of the pair to which I am now 

 referring used to moult in the autumn, I did not 

 observe that he changed much in regard to his colour, 

 though he may have done so slightly, and during the 

 winter had less of the brilliant yellow that during the 

 season of love and courtship decorated his shapely 

 form. His head was blacker in summer, becoming 

 brownish-black after the autumnal moult. 



Scientific name, Hyphantornis capensis. 



