THE SOCIABLE GROSBEAK. 
147 
The family Pringillid^ is composed of birds wliich are 
generally of small size. They have a shorty thick^ power- 
ful bill^ well fitted for cracking seeds ; some of the groups 
having on the palate of the npper mandible a strong bony 
projection^ to aid them in breaking the hard cases in which 
seeds are often enveloped. 
Though the generality of birds prefer to be solitary in the 
placing of their nests^ there are notable exceptions. Rooks^ 
sand-martins^ and gulls may be instanced as three familiar 
examples. In South Africa however there is a far more striking 
instance in a member of this family^ the Sociable Grosbeak 
{Fhiletoems socius, Plate X. fig. 1)^ the habits of which have 
been recorded by Patterson^ Daniel^ and other travellers in the 
country to the north of the Cape. As the last and best ac- 
count^ we extract from the admirable work of Dr. Andrew 
Smith"^ part of his condensed observations on the habits of 
this bird. He whites : — When a nestling-place has been 
selected^ and the operation of building the nests is to be 
commenced ah initio, the community immediately proceed 
conjointly to construct the general covering which interests 
them all ; that being accompHshed^ each pair begins to form 
* Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa, pi. viii. {Philetcerus 
lepidusy Smith ; Loxia soda, Lath.) 
