POLIOSPIZA 165 



slightly forked. Tarsus scutellated anteriorly, the sides covered by 

 a single plate. 



Plumage : crown brown, streaked with white in the typical 

 species. Sexes nearly alike. 



The genus contains six species of African Finches ; one only is 

 resident in and confined to South Africa. In their habits they 

 resemble the other Seed-eaters or Canaries. 



Poliospiza gularis. 



87. Poliospiza gularis. Streaky -headed Seed-eater. 



Linaria gularis, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. App. p, 49 (1836). 

 Fringilla gularis, Gray, Gen. B. ii, p. 372 (1849) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. 



p. 203 (1867). 



Fringilla striaceps, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 204 (1867). 

 Poliospiza gularis, Bp. Consp. i, p. 519 (1850) ; Gurney in Andersson's 



B. Damara Land, p. 183 (1872) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard s B. S. Afr. pp. 



482, 850 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xii, p. 343 (1888) ; Shelley, S. Afr. i, 



p. 20 (1896). 

 Streep-Kop Seisje (Streaky-headed Seed-eater) of the Dutch Colonists. 



Description. Adult male. Above, grey-brown slightly mottled 

 on the back with dusky ; lesser wing-coverts like the back ; rest of 

 wing and tail dusky brown, the feathers edged with brown and 

 whitish ; crown dark brown streaked with white ; a slight eyebrow 

 white ; ear-coverts and cheeks dusky brown ; sides of neck a lighter 

 brown ; throat white sparingly speckled with black ; rest of under 

 surface pale drab-brown, the abdomen lighter, the sides and flanks 

 tinged with brown ; under tail-coverts dull white streaked with 

 dusky ; axillaries and under wing-coverts light brown ; under 

 surface of quills dusky, their inner margins grey. 



Iris hazel ; bill horn-coloured ; legs and feet pale brown. 



Length 6-05; wing 2-95 ; tail 2-35 ; tarsus 0-70; culmen 0-55. 



Adult female. Similar to the male both in size and colour. 



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