208 THE BLACK-CLOUDED GEOSBE^iL 



the feet flesh-colour. The blackness of the tail and pen fea- 

 thers seem to shew that this bird does not really occupy the 

 place assigned to it by EDWARDS, nor does the familiarity with 

 the male prove anything, as almost all seed- eating birds agree 

 well together, and even caress one another with their bills. 



Observations. This bird is a native of the East Indies. It 

 is gentle, lively, and affectionate ; its voice is strong, and its 

 song, though having a somewhat nasal ring, is not unpleasant. 

 Its cry is " Tziapp /" It will live for a long time, if fed on 

 hemp and canary seed. 



87. THE BLACK-CLOUDED GBOSBEAK. 

 Loxia NuUlosa, BECH. Der Schwarzwolkige Kernbeisser, BECH. 



Description. I have seen two of these birds, which seemed 

 to me to bear a strong resemblance to the Molucca and Black 

 Grosbeaks, though not absolutely identical with them. The 

 Black-clouded Grosbeak is about the size of a House Sparrow. 

 The beak is strong, and whitish grey ; the feet are large, and 

 lead-coloured. The prevailing colour of the plumage is black, 

 though the rump and vent are white ; the lower part of the 

 body is whitish grey, and the wing coverts are clouded with 

 reddish grey. After every moulting, the under part of the 

 body and wings becomes lighter. 



Observations. This bird is a native of Africa, and especially 

 of the Cape of Good Hope. It is very tame ; its cry is 

 " Tzeeb /" and its song, which is not very melodious, consists 

 merely of a continuous twittering. If fed on millet, hemp, 

 canary, and rape seed, it will live for many years. 



1. The Molucca Grosbeak (Loxia Molucca, LIN.) may be 

 thus described. It is four inches in length ; the beak is dark 

 brown ; the top of the head and neck, black ; the back of the 

 head and upper part of the body, brown ; the breast and belly 

 covered with transverse stripes of black and white ; the tail 

 black ; the pen feathers dark brown ; the feet brown. 



2. The Black Grosbeak (Loxia Nigra., LIN.) is five inches 

 and a quarter in length. The beak is black, strong, and much 

 compressed about the centre of the upper mandible ; the plum- 

 age generally black, with the exception of a white spot in 

 front of the wings, and the roots of the two first pen feathers, 

 which are also white ; the feet are black. This bird is a native 

 of Mexico. 



