Loxia erythrocephala, LINNÆUS; Le Cardinal d'Angola, BUFFON;
Der Paridiese-Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN.
This species is about six inches long; the beak and feet are
flesh-coloured, the head and chin red; the upper part of the neck, the
back, rump, and wing-coverts, bluish grey; the upper tail-coverts are
edged with grey; the under part of the body white, with dark brown spots
on the sides; the wing-coverts white at the tip, which forms two
transverse streaks on the wings; the pen and tail-feathers are of a dark
grey, with lighter tips. The female does not differ from the male.
OBSERVATIONS.--The male sings through the whole year, but its voice is
so weak that the least noise overpowers it. In England this species
has been made to breed in an aviary. Its food is millet and rape
seed, and sometimes a little hemp seed.