True Finches. 35 



female is greyer than the male, and shows more green and less pure 

 yellow in its plumage. 



Pelzeln's Saffron Finch (Sycalis pelzelni). 



"Female dull brownish-grey mottled with blackish above; under 

 surface whitish-grey, striped with dusky brown on the breast ; 

 wing and tail feathers edged with yellow " (Sclater and Hudson, 

 Birds of the Argentine Republic, vol. i. p. 66). It is therefore 

 evident that whereas the male is largely yellowish-olive, the female 

 is largely brownish. When crossed with the common Saffron Finch 

 the mules are perfectly fertile, and when paired successively with 

 S.flaveola they gradually lose their distinctive characters. 



The Yellowish Finch (Sycalis arvensis). 



The sexes are much alike, but the female is rather duller and 

 browner than the male. 



, The Serins or Canaries (Serinus). 

 The Cape Canary (Serinus canicollis). 



The adult female is " duller in colour than the male, and 

 browner on the back, where there are distinct evidences of dusky 

 streaks. The yellow colouring of both upper and under surfaces 

 not so brilliant as in the male, the ashy colour of the hind neck 

 somewhat washed with brown ; the crown paler yellow than in the 

 male, and streaked with dusky " (Sharpe, Catalogue of Birds, vol. 

 xii. p. 351). The female is also distinctly smaller and has shorter 

 wings than the male. 



The Sulphur Seed-eater (Serinus sulphuratus). 



The adult female " only differs from the male in being slightly 

 less brilliant, with the yellow stripe along the sides of the face more 

 obscure" (Sharpe, t. c, p. 353). It is, however, distinctly smaller, 

 and has shorter wings. 



St Helena Seed-eater (Serinus flaviventris)* 



The female is altogether paler, greener, and more heavily streaked 

 with blackish than the male ; eyebrow ashy whitish ; the under 

 parts ashy whitish instead of yellow ; the throat, breast, and flanks 

 streaked with dusky brown. 



The Green Singing-Finch (Serinus butyraceus).\ 



The only sexual differences mentioned by Captain Shelley are that 

 in the female the chin is often white, and that it is slightly smaller 



* Captain Shelley has recognised two species or subspecies, that figured in my 

 Foreign Finches being called Marshall's Canary ; but it seems probable that the 

 differences have appeared quite recently, and are due to local conditions, so that 

 it would be better not to disturb the name by which we know this bird. 



t Captain Shelley insists upon this as the correct scientific name for the Green 

 Singing-Finch, which he calls the "Yellow-fronted Canary." 



