174 FRINGILLID.E SERINUS 



Iii West Africa from Damara Land to Senegambia. Introduced 

 into Mauritius and Reunion. 



Habits. In both habits and appearance the present species 

 closely resembles Serinus flaviventris. It is, however, smaller in 

 size, paler in colour, and has a black streak across the lower face. 

 la its habits it is lively and excitable, but at the same time, tame 

 and confiding. In the spring of the year the cock is much given 

 to chasing the hens, as well as intruding males of his own species, 

 when not uttering his melodious song, of seven flute-like notes, 

 from the top of a bush. During the winter months these Seed- 

 eaters collect in small flocks and frequent open ground and stubble- 

 fields in search of the small seeds which they habitually eat. They 

 frequently feed along with other Finches and Waxbills. In summer 

 they vary their diet with small beetles, caterpillars, and other 

 insects, and I have even seen individual birds taking flies on the 

 wing. They are fond, also, of sipping the nectar from the blossoms 

 of certain creepers that are much frequented by Sunbirds. Owing 

 to its pretty plumage, its gay and lively disposition, and its charm- 

 ing song, this species is frequently caught and caged, and is even 

 exported to Europe as a cage-bird. 



The nest, a neat and pretty cup-shaped structure, is built in a low 

 bush, in September or October, of dry stalks of grass and flowers, 

 lined with finer grass and cottony down. From three to five eggs 

 are laid, of a pale bluish ground colour, sparingly spotted towards 

 the larger end with pale reddish-brown. 



They measure 0-68 x 0-52. 



The female sits for twelve or thirteen days, and the young 

 remain in the nest for about twenty-four days. They are fed on 

 insects, and are at first covered with yellowish-white down. 



94. Serinus albigularis. White-throated Seed-eater. 



Crithagra albigularis, Smith, 8. Afr. Quart. Journ. ii, p. 48 (1833) ; 



Sharpe, ed. Laijard's B. S. Afr. p. 485 (1884). 

 Crithagra selbyi, SmitJi, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. p. 50 (1836) ; Layard, 



B. S. Afr. p. 219 (1867). 

 Serinus albigularis, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xii, p. 360 (1887) ; Shelley, B. 



Afr. i, p. 21 (1896). 



"Dik-bek Seisje " and "Berg Seisje" (Thick-beak Seed-eater and 

 Mountain Seed-eater) of Dutch Colonists. 



Description. Adult male. Above, ash-brown streaked with 

 darker brown merging into greenish-yellow on the rump and upper 



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