THE CANARIES. 53 



green in their plumage. The bill is swollen and the curve of 

 both mandibles is equally marked towards the tip, so that the 

 bill is not pointed as in the Siskins, but is more like that of a 

 small Grosbeak. 



The Canaries are mostly African, sixteen species being 

 peculiar to that continent. In Southern and Central Europe 

 the Serin Finch is found, and the true Canary Bird of the 

 Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands is only a large form of 

 the Serin Finch. A third species, S. canonicus, occurs in 

 Palestine. A small Serin (S. pusillus] with a red forehead, 

 recalling the appearance of the Redpolls, is found from Asia 

 Minor and Syria eastwards to Central Asia and the North- 

 western Himalayas. 



I. THE SERIN FINCH. SERINUS SERINUS. 



Fringilla serinus^ Linn., S. N., i., p. 320 (1766). 



Serinus hortulanus. Dresser, B. Eur., in., p. 549, pi. 170 (1875) ; 



Newt. ed. Yarr., ii., p. in (1877); B. O. U. List Br. 



p. 49 (1883); Saunders, Man., p. 169 (1889). 

 Serinus serinus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., xii., p. 368 



(1888). 



Adult Male. General colour above pale brown, streaked with 

 black, the feathers also marked with yellow ; throat and breast 

 yellow, with an ashy shade on the lower throat; forehead 

 yellow ; sides of body ashy-brown, very distinctly streaked with 

 black; abdomen white. Total length, 4-5 inches; culmen, 

 0-3; wing, 2-8; tail, 1-9; tarsus, 0-55. 



The Female is coloured like the male, but the plumage is not 

 quite so bright. Total length, 4-5 inches; wing, 2*6. 



Range in Great Britain. A very rare visitor, some eight ex- 

 amples having been taken in England either in spring or 

 autumn. 



Range outside the British Islands. An inhabitant of Southern 

 and Central Europe, extending through the Mediterranean 

 countries to Asia Minor and Palestine. Northwards its range 

 extends to the Rhine Provinces and to Denmark, and it breeds 

 near Frankfort and Darmstadt. The Canary (Serinus canarid) 



