314 FRINGII.LID/t:. 



. Serinus. Koch. 



Bill swollen, both mandibles curved, tornium deflected ; plumage yellow. 



838. Serinus pectoraliS, Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 190, 

 (1884) ; Sharpc, Cat. B. Br. Mas. xii. p. 372. The COLLARED SERIN. 



Male. A dark brown nearly black streak at the base of the upper 

 mandible, followed by a bright yellow frontal band, extending as a broad 

 supercilium to behind the ear coverts ; a slaty grey streak through the eye ; 

 crown of the head slaty grey, each feather with a dark central streak ; nape 

 greenish olive; back, scapulars and lesser wing coverts yellowish green, the 

 feathers with a dark mesial streak ; median coverts dark brown, edged with 

 yellow ; greater coverts also dark brown, margined on their outer webs, and 

 tipped with yellow ; primaries and secondaries dusky brown, margined whitish 

 on their inner webs, and edged on the outer very narrowly with greenish ; 

 rump olivaceous : upper tail coverts yellowish, some of the lateral feathers 

 with a dark mesial streak ; chin, throat, breast and sides of the face bright 

 golden yellow ; a dark brown nearly black streak from each side of the base 

 of the lower mandible extending to the sides of the neck, which is slaty grey ; 

 sides of the breast slaty grey with a narrow band issuing from each side, nearly 

 meeting on the lower breast and forming a nearly complete pectoral band ; 

 rest of under surface yellow ; tail dusky brown, the feathers slightly darker 

 on their outer webs, and all tipped yellowish white on their inner webs ; bill 

 horny ; legs dark fleshy ; irides light brown. 



Length. 4*93 inches; wing 2*62 ; tail 1*5 ; bill at front 0*31. 



This pretty little species was got at Kurrachee, and was alive when it was 

 described in the possession of Mr. J, Strip, Assistant Collector of Customs, to 

 whom I am indebted for having very kindly permitted me to describe it, 

 Sharpe remarks, that it is closely allied to . canonicus^ if not identical with 

 it ; but the description of S. canonicus does not agree with it. It was captured 

 in May 1 88 1, having been struck by a catapult, and the wing so hurt as to 

 disable it from flying. It has been a captive since, and appears quite happy. 

 A second one was seen by Mr. Strip shortly after on a mound near an 

 abandoned well in one of the Kurrachee gardens. He says that the bird in 

 his possession is hardy and lively, and has an extremely pleasant song. It has 

 outlived three canaries, and never yet appeared dull or ill, even when moulting. 



It differs from hortulana, canaria and auri/rons, rirst in size, being smaller 

 than the first two, and quite unlike in colour ; and from Tristram's aurifrons, 

 pi. 7, Ibis, 1868, in having no striations on the flanks, and from all the species 

 J know, in having a nearly complete pectoral band, which is its chief charac- 

 teristic. Tristram refers (/. c.) to Bonaparte's S. syriacus, which, he says, has 

 4 bright yellow forehead, light coloured back, and uniform yellow under surface 



