CANARIES AND SEEDEATERS 147 



throat and abdomen white. Length, 6|- inches. It has a 

 loud musical song which is by some critics even preferred to 

 that of the Cape Canary. 



Another good little songster is the Yellow-rumped Seed- 

 eater (or " Black- throated," as it is usually called — S. 

 angolensis), which is pale buffish-brown with a blackish 

 throat and yellow rump. Length, a little over 4^ inches. It 

 is exceedingly common in the Brandfort and Kroonstad 

 Districts, Orange Free State, and Pretoria District, 

 Transvaal. 



A favourite little song-bird is the dainty little Mountain 

 Canary {Alario alario), familiarly called the " Black-head " 

 by the schoolboys of the Eastern Cape Colony. It thrives 

 readily in captivity, is of gentle habits, and inter-breeds 

 with the Cape and Common Canaries. It is essentially a 

 Cape Colonial bird, but ranges into Great Namaqualand, 

 and the Orange Free State as far north as Bloemfontein. 

 The males are of a chestnut-red above with part of the wing 

 and entire head black ; the sides of the neck and under surface 

 white excepting the throat and centre of breast which is 

 black, forming a " tie." Length, about 4J to 4| inches. 



It has a very sweet and softly modulated song. It builds 

 a neat cup-shaped nest in a low bush and lays from three to 

 five eggs of a pale blue-green colour, spotted at the large end 

 with red-brown. 



A songster of no mean merit is the Streaky-headed Seed- 

 eater {Poliospiza gularis), a dull greyish-brown coloured bird 

 with a darker brown head striped with white on the crown. 

 Length, 6 inches. It is very common at Modderfontein, and 

 Irene, Transvaal, where they may be seen drinking in flocks 

 at eventide. It is largely a seedeater, but may sometimes 

 eat soft fruit, such as figs. 



