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T H E CAPE CANARY,
Serinus canicollk, SwAlNS.
- ' N D E R the above trivial name several species of Serin Finches are sold by
various dealers: Mr. Abrahams, however, informs me that 5. canicollis is the
species properly so designated. Other species which have been so called are 5.
batyracea (now called S. flavivcntrhj and S. sulphuratus. Owing to the fact that
H e r r Wiener, in Cassell's Cage Birds, confomided S. fluviventris with 5. icUriis, I
formerly supposed the larger'bird to be the Cape Canary, and described it nnder
t h a t name in my Popular Foreign Cage Birds (Feathered World, 1892, p. 18).
T h e cock Cape Canary above is greenish, tinged with grey, the feathers of the
shonlders and back with ill-defined darker centres; the lower back and upper tailcoverts
more distinctly yellow and unmarked; the tail feathers blackish, with jrellow
outer margins; the wing-coverts greenish with yellower edges to the median and
greater coverts; flight feathers black with yellow edges, wider on the ends of the
secondaries, which are narrowly tipped with greyish; head above golden yellow,
greenish in the centre; back and sides of neck pale grey, spreading as a collar
over the shoulders; ear-coverts grey; lores dusky; eyelid, cheeks, throat, and under
surface of body golden yellow, brighter on the chest and front of abdomen; sides
of body slightly greenish; vent white; under tail-coverts yellow; under wing-coverts
and axillaries greyish, edged with yellow; flight feathers below dusky, with greyish
inner edges. Length inches. Beak pale horn-colour, darker on the upper
mandible; legs greyish brown; iris dark brown.
T h e hen is much duller than the cock, all the yellow colouring paler, and the
upper parts browner.
T h i s is a native of South Africa, and is a fine song-bird; it pairs readily with
t h e ordinary Canaiy fScriniis canariaj, which is now regarded as a race of the
S e r i n - F i n ch fScrinus seriimsj, a friend of mine having succeeded in obtaining two
miiles at the first pairing of these distinct species.
Messrs. Sharpe and Layard sa}^ that :—"The Cape Canary is a common bird
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