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T H E GREEN SINGING FINCH.
Scnuus ictcrus, BoNA. ET ViEILL.
r r i H I S charming and livety little Serin inhabits West Africa from Senegambia to
- L the Gold Coast ; the whole of East Africa to Natal, Damara Land, and Angola,
but only extends as far as the Eastern Cape Colony. It has been introduced into
Mau^ritius, Reunion and other islands.
S. idcrus bears a considerable resemblance to the St. Plelena Seed-eater, but
is decidedly smaller, the cock measuring inches, and the hen 4,''<, inches in length;
its cheeks are bright yellow, separated from the throat by a black line across the
lower part of the face; the tail-feathers are also tipped ^rith white. The hen is
paler in colouring than the cock, is somewhat browner above, and has a white spot
on the chin.
The courting of this bird consists in his chasing the hen vigorously; at the
same time shouting out his song, which at this season sounds exactly like the
words "You're such a cure, I'll eat ye": when pursuing an enemy, he uses the
same words; but, doubtless, the3r must then be understood differently. It seems
strange that a bird with such a small musical repertoire, should be specially designated
a Singing Finch. Sometimes, but this is usually when the bird is perching, lie
utters a sort of note of defiance "Ye-oo-er," probably only the first utterance of his
song prolonged; and it is generally followed, almost instantly, by a dive from the
branch after his enemy.
Mr. Angus says,—"This species is pretty common about Rusteuberg, where I
found it congregated and feeding amongst stubbles on the farms, and sometimes
also on the flowers of the parasite that the Sugar-birds are so fond of"
Messrs. Sharpe and Layard write—"Mr. Ortlepp has sent us specimens of
this bird in breeding plumage from Colesberg; he says that it sings sweetly. Mr,
T . E. Atmore likewise procured it near Eland's Post and Grahamstown. Mr. Ayres,
writing from the Transvaal, states that he met with a small company of five individuals
amongst the low thorns in the Mariqua district and Rustenberg. Mr. E.
The Green Sinnns: Finch. •35
Gates procured a specimen at Tati, Matabele Land, and Mr. Jameson occasionally
met with it in small flocks during his expedition to the Mashooua country. Mr.
Anderson writes:—"Thi s species is common in the neighbourhood of the Okavango,
and is also found in Damara Land, extending to the south of that country. On
January 5th, 1887, I found a nest of this Eineh at Omapju; it was situated in
a kamel-thorn bush, about four feet from the ground, and was composed of grass,
lined with softer grass internally: it contained three eggs, much incubated." Senor
Anchieta has it from Biballa and Caconda: it is called Kabilo at the latter place,
and Kianja at the former."
Dr. Russ says that the instinct of love in this bird is not so hearty as in
the Ornamental Finches; "in graceful humour, the male feeds his hen with dovelike
beak from the crop, but immediately afterwards chases and pursues her again.
Call-note resounding, warbling,, piercing, varying to loud, melodious, flute-like
sounds. Nest formed in a nest-basket and other things, husks, Flartz Canarycages,
or the like, never openly in a bush; constructed of fine grasses, bast, and
strips of paper, woollen and other threads, horse-hair, a few feathers and tow, and
lined with grasses and rootlets. Laying four eggs, yellowish white, for the most
part spotted with buff. Time of incubation, thirteen days. Yoimg, down whitish;
leave the nest in about twenty days. The hen builds, being tempted, after the manner
of Finches, by the male carrying in materials; also incubates alone; the young
fed in common by the pair and after their flight by the male only. Nestingtime,
September to the new year; after^vards calm and silent, the wedded pair
scarcely care any longer for one another. Graceful, lively, enduring, it nests
readily and surely, flying freely in the bird-room or in the breeding-cage. Unfriendly
towards its own species and near allies. Mules between it and Canaries
and Grey Singing Finches have been reared."
Unfortirnately, I have not found it inclined to build either in the bird-room
or the breeding-cage.
A writer to " The Bazaar" seems to have had a very different and far more
satisfactory experience: — " A t the end of the year 1884, a pair came into my possession.
For some daj^s I considered that I had been "done," and that my pair
were two cocks. Directly one or other of them warbled for a short time, it was
the signal for a scrimmage. As a rule, they generally attacked each other; but
occasionally they vented their spite on the Waxbills. To test whether they
were a genuine pair, in the following year (on the 4th February) they were put
into a breeding-cage iSin. in length, iiin. in height, and 8in. in depth. Being so
small a cage, I took out the nesting arrangements and the wired-off division
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