IOO



Dr. A. G. Butler,



are certainly more nearly related to tlie Serins and Siskins, as

Burmeister points out.


The flight of S. arvensis in an aviary differs entirely from

that of the more heavily built Saffron-fiucli; indeed it far more

nearly resembles that of the Grey Singing-finch, having the

dancing irregular character of a white or blue butterfly. A he

only note I have heard hitherto is a rather shrill short chirp: I

must confess I should greatly like to hear the elaborate Lark-like

song described by Mr. Hudson ; but if it is necessary to provide

an aviary sixty yards high, in order to induce the bird to sing it,

I fear that will never fall to my lot.


Although the nesting-habit seems to be altogether unlike

that of the Saffron-finch and more characteristic of a Bunting, I

see no reason why a well-authenticated pair should not breed

in a rough outdoor aviary : in my birdroom, where many Saffron-

finches have been bred without the least difficulty, the Yellowish

Finch could not be expected to build, the floor being of concrete

with a thick layer of sand and no vegetation of any kind.


On November ist 1904 our former member Mr. F. W. H.

Daly wrote to me for the identification of two small birds sold

under the name of Saffron-finches. Mr. Daly says that some few

years back a considerable number came into Southampton,

apparently in one importation ; several dealers had them and

sold them as “ original wild canaries.” Being satisfied that both

birds were hens, Mr. Daly asked me to accept one and send him

the name of the species: it arrived a few days later and I told

him that it was, as I had supposed, a Yellowish Finch, but rather

smaller than my birds; so that I thought it possible it might be

the subspecies separated under the name Sycalis minor: on turn¬

ing it in with my other two the discrepancy in size seemed less

marked, and is probably only of sexual value.


According to the “Catalogue of Birds in the British

Museum ” A. arvensis measures 5-2 inches ; the female 5-5 inches,

A. minor 4-6 inches in both sexes ; but Burmeister gives the

measurement of the latter under its synonym of S. hilarii as

4 inches and 8 lines, whilst Dr. Sclater gives the total length of

N. arvensis under its synonym of A. luteola as 5 inches. The fact



