64 
The Endurance of Birds. 
resembles in the markings and colour arrangement of its 
plumage. 
It is a hardy species, and a free breeder, once a breeding 
pair is secured. 1 1 crosses readily with other serins and the 
domestic canary ; tlie hybrids from the latter cross are very 
handsome and also sweet songsters. 
Serins are combative with each other, whether of their 
own or other species, so best results are secured when only 
one species of serin is kept in the same enclosure, containing 
a mixed series of tinches. 
Adult male. — General colouration of upper surface and 
tail green, with black shaft-streaks to most of the feathers; rump 
dull yellow ; flights edged with yellow ; lores green ; upper and 
lower eye-streaks, and entire under-surface rich golden-yellow; 
beak Hght horn-colour; legs and feet dusky. Total length 5^2 
inches. 
Adult female. — Much duller in colour, the plumage above 
having a browninsh hue, more heavily streaked with black, and 
no yellow markings. Beneath she is greyish-white, only 
slightly tinged with yellow, regularly streaked with greyish 
brown on the breast, sides of body, and under tail-coverts 
Total length 5 inches. 
A very beautiful bird, a fine songster, and a most 
attractive species for the mixed aviary. It has reared young 
in my aviaries on two occasions. The young were reared with- 
out difficulty, the parent birds had access to insectile mixture, 
seed, ample greenfood and were very keen on mealworms when 
these were thrown in; but the young were mainly reared on 
seed and greenfood; some insects were captured (flies, etc.) in 
the aviary, as well as a few mealworms picked up, but these 
were swallowed and not immediately fed to the young. The 
parent birds regurgitated the contents of their crops into the 
gaping mouths of their young. 
Sulphury Seedeater (S. sulpliuratus) : Another verv 
beautiful serin, but not of such graceful form as faviventris. 
It is about the size and contour of the English Greenfinch. It 
is less common on the market than other serins, but not rare like 
the exquisite Black-faced Serin. 
