303 



SOCIABLE GROSBEAK. 

 (Loxia socia.) 



L„ riifo^fusca, subtus jftavescens, capistro nigro, cauda brevi. 

 Reddish-brown Grosbeak, beneath yellowish ; capistrura black ; 



tail short. 

 Loxia socia. Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 381. 35. 

 Loxia. Paterson. Cape. t. p. 126, bird and nest. 

 Tisserin republicain. Dand. Orn. 2. 397« 

 Sociable Grosbeak. Lath. Syn. Sup. II. \Q2. 3. 



The Sociable Grosbeak is about the size of a 

 Bullfinch, being five inches and a half in length : 

 beak and lore black : prevailing colour of the 

 plumage rufous brown ; beneath yellow : yellowest 

 round the ear : tail short : legs brown. 



Inhabits the interior country at the Cape of 

 Good Hope, where it was first discovered by Mr. 

 Paterson, who gives the following history of it. 

 " Few species of birds live together in such large 

 societies, or have such an extraordinary mode of 

 nidification as these : they build their nests on the 

 Mimosa trees, which grow to a very large size, 

 and appear to be well calculated for the purpose, 

 as the smoothness of their trunks prevents the 

 birds from being attacked by Monkeys, and other 

 noxious animals. The method in which their nests 

 are made is very curious. On one tree there could 

 not be less than from eight hundred to a thousand 

 under one general roof: I call it a roof, because it 

 resembles that of a thatched house, and projects 



