MISTO SEED-FINCH 67 



MISTO SEED-FINCH 



Sycalis luteola 



Above light olive-green, marked with dusky stripes ; wing- and tail- 

 feathers blackish ; throat and chest dusky buff ; lower breast and belly 

 yellow ; length 5 inches. 



THIS is a slender, graceful bird, less than the Canary 

 in size, the whole upper plumage yellowish olive, 

 with dun markings, the lower surface of a dull yellow. 

 The female is a little smaller than the male, and her 

 colours are somewhat dimmer* 



This species is resident and gregarious in the 

 Argentine Republic, and in autumn frequently con- 

 gregates in flocks of several thousands. They are not 

 so universally distributed as the Chingolo, and are 

 not wood-birds, but frequent open plains abounding 

 in thistles and other coarse herbage, which affords 

 them shelter. In cultivated districts, where their 

 food is most abundant, they are excessively numerous, 

 and after the harvest has been gathered frequent 

 the fields in immense flocks. While feeding, the 

 flocks scatter over a large area of ground, being 

 broken up into small companies of a dozen or more 

 birds, and at such times are so intent on their food 

 that a person can walk about amongst them without 

 disturbing them. They take flight very suddenly, 

 bursting into a thousand chirping, scolding notes, 

 pursue each other through the air, and after wheeling 

 about the field for a minute or two, suddenly drop 

 down into the grass again and are silent as before. 



