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The Grey Siiigiiig-Fiiich. 39
proved to be cock birds; so that my chance of breeding this delightful singer
was, for the time, at an end: not so, however, the music.
The Grey Singing Finch, in his dispositiou, is a veritable Paddy; he fights
iucessautly with his own species, for the mere fun of the thing, singing
all the time and only pausing to give fuller vigour to his melody. To see tliree
of these little grey and white birds, all near together, wagging their heads and
pouring forth a volume of sweet sound; then darting off, all at once, and fluttering
rouud one another like butterflies, is a treat indeed.
After an apparently desperate encounter, in which the combatants have
perhaps lost several small feathers from the crown or neck, they will be seen
amicablj- feeding together from the same hopper: at night too, they frequently
roost close together; evidently being on the best of terms ^vith each other.
Dr. Russ thus speaks of this species:—"Unassuming,.grey, elegant Songster.
Already glorified by Vieillot as Senegali-chanteur and designated as "musica." It
was unknown to ns among the bird amateurs until 1868; it was sold in quantities
erroneously as the female of the Atlas-bird (Steel-finch). Through my description
in the Gartenlaubc it quicklj' gained favour in the widest circles and since then
has been naturalized in all bird-rooms and has also been already bred in many
instances. First of all Mr. Dorpniiiller, the Architect of Gladbach, reared it
through several generations, and various amateurs followed; after me, Dr. Frauken
of Badenbaden: Engineer Henschel of Innleitenmiihle, and others, have also
reared crosses between it and Canary hens; Dr. Frankeu, the like, with the
Mozambique Serin (Greeu Singing Finch) and Angola Linnet (Yellow-rumped
Seed-eater)."
"Graceful, loveable and peaceable (3'et not with its own kind and the most
nearly related species) in the bird-room, as in the aviary, he earns the goodwill
and affection of all amateurs. Song uncommonly powerful and melodious, reminds
one of those of the Woodlark and the Canarybird. Nest open, ornamentally
formed of stalks, fibres, little threads, cotton and the like. Laying four to five
eggs, pale blue, at times greenish, finely speckled aud spotted with reddish or
browu; incubated by the female only in thirteen days. Nesting down bluish white.
Young plutnage only fainter and more washed out than that of the old bird. The
little beak white; the feet flesh coloured. Change of colour with the moult, so
that the youug bird in its new feathering shows the adult plumage. Moult in
our Spring months."
Dr. Russ adds that it is delicate when it arrives in Europe, but -i^'heu
acclimatized, is ^-ig•orous and enduring: my own experience would have led me to
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