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Foreign Finchcs in Captivity.
conclude that it was never delicate; for the two cocks which I have previously
noted as picked iip cheaplj-, were cjuite newly imported and somewhat rough in
feathering; 3'et neither ever showed the least indication of weakness; but, from
the beginning, were as sturdy and active as at the present time. I have never
known this species to quarrel with any other; I found it always peaceful towards the
Green Singing Finch. I have, however seen it pursued by the White-throated
Finch: which was unable to catch it, and I have seen the Green Singing Finch
dash after it once or twice during the breeding season also without being able to
overtake it.
In his " Frevidldiidischcn ' Stiibawogcl" Dr. Russ tells us that Vierthaler describes
the propagation of this species very superficially; (the majority of collectors pay
very little attention to the habits of birds, their object being either to live b}?
destroying them, or to get together a large collection and thus obtain an insiglit
into the geographical distribution of birds; it is only the truly scientific collector
who cares an3'thing about the life of the things he obtains, or takes the least
trouble to learn anything about them. In short, ordinary collectors are little more
than machines for the accumulation of dead materials). However, to continue, it
appears that Vierthaler found the nest on the Blue Nile, about five feet above the
ground, with three eggs; and that is all that is known of the wild life of the species.
Illustration from living specimens in the author's collection.
T H E ALARIO FINCH,
Alario alario, LINN.
r j ^ H I S is a very melodious soug-bird from Southern Africa, its range extending
from Cape Town northwards to Damara-Land and eastwards to Port Elizabeth.
The cock bird in its colouring is curiously like the Three-coloured Mannikin: its
entire head, with the exception of a whitish spot at the base of the lower mandible
and a crescentic band on the chin are jet-black, this colour extending from the
sides of the neck and throat so as to join a broad almost square patch on the
chest; the latter is only at all distinguishable from the black of the throat by a
few white hairs in the hinder feathers of the latter; from the posterior angles of
the thoracic patch two well-defined lateral black streaks run irregularly into the
whitish breast; the black of the nape is defined laterally by a white band slightly
stained with dusky, which forms an imperfect collar and passes into the white
of the shoulder; the back of the neck, mautle and whole upper surface, including
the wing-coverts and tail are bright reddish chocolate, brightest on the hind back
and upper tail-coverts; the flight feathers black, tipped with pale chocolate reddish
excepting the secondaries which are tipped and bordered with bright chocolate, increasing
in width towards the body, the last secondaries being almost wholly of
this colour; the breast, abdomen and ttnder tail coverts dull bulfish white, a little
purer at the sides of the chest; more or less mottled with black at the sides of
the chest and abdomen; quills below dead black; tail feathers below gre3dsli chocolate,
darker on the outer web and \vith short black terminal shaft-streaks. Length
4,'i, inches. Beak pale greyish brown, darker on the upper mandible; legs slatygrey;
iris brown.
The hen is smaller and altogether greyer than the male bird; the black of the
head, neck, throat, chest etc., are wanting; being only represented by sooty mottling
on the throat and centre of chest; even the black of the flight feathers is duller
and internally greyer; the under stirface colouring is browner, being whitish in
the centre of abdomen and vent; the reddish colouring above is almost lost
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