Foreign Fiuchcs in Captivity.
aiuiulai- form with intensely dark or Hglit purple spots, with liere and there a wavy
streak, axis, lO, diam. 7.
The colonists call this Grosbeak " Geel SaysieT Layard.
Russ says that this bird is the image of the St. Helena Seed-eater, but
considerably larger and more powerful, almost equal to a Bullfinch. It would
also be a welcome addition to the bird-room and cage; but is extremely rare and
only brought home singly.
Knowing what I do of the spiteful fits which occasionally come over the St.
Helena Seed-eater, I should recommend amateurs to be careful to associate the
Sulphur-coloured Seed-eater with those birds which are strong enough to defend
themselves against him. Still, it does not follow that, because he is big and powerful,
this Seed-eater is necessarily spiteful. I once possessed a White-throated Seedeater,
a great ugly brute of a bird, with almost the face of a Grosbeak, but in
character it was as mild and gentle as any bird I ever had: according to Russ it
is a lovely singer, but my bird never paid for its keep; conseciuently, though a rare
Seed-eater, I cannot say I greatly regretted its ultimate death.
Pood similar to that recommended for the Cape Canary. Mr. Abrahams wrote
to me in 1893 that he had a specimen of this species; but at the time I was not
feeling very wealthy, and knowing that a bird so rarely imported would in all
probability be expensive, did not trouble myself more about it: indeed, had I
purchased this Serin, I must have turned it in with my St. Helena Seed-eater
and Green Singing-Finches; and in all probability they would have c|uarrelled: it
could not have been kept in a separate cage, for all, excepting the small Canarycages
(which are only used for sick birds) were occupied either by birds paired
for breeding, by Waxbills, Cardinals, or Canaries, Linnets and Goldfinches in
company.