This bird is very little larger than the bullfinch, but its long and raised tail is about twice the length of its body: it is only ornamented with it during the pairing season. The beak is brown grey; the feet grey; the prevailing colour of the plumage is velvet black; the shoulders are red; the coverts white; the pen-feathers brown grey, with a white border. The female is always grey, and has only a little red on the shoulders. The male acquires its beautiful black plumage at the beginning of November, and loses it in January, to assume the colours of the female. OBSERVATIONS.--This species, which is found in the interior of the country north of the Cape, lives and builds in marshes: it is rarely brought to Europe. The long tail of the male requires a large cage in order to preserve its beauty. In its wild state this length of tail is very inconvenient during the high winds; and during the rainy season it may be caught by the hand. It is fed with canary seed. THE BLUE FINCH. Loxia coerulea, LINNÆUS; Le Bouvreuil bleu d'Amérique, BUFFON; Der dunkelblaue Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN. This bird is the size of the common grosbeak, about six inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak, which measures six lines, is strong, and of a dark brown; the feet black; a black streak surrounds the chin, and extends to the eyes: the whole plumage is blue, except the greater wing coverts, the pen-feathers, and the central tail feathers, which are dark brown. The female is entirely brown, with a slight mixture of blue. OBSERVATIONS.--I have had an opportunity of observing this bird among the collection belonging to his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, where it is fed on canary seed. It calls little, and its song is weak, but its plumage is beautiful. It is found in several parts of America, in Brazil, Cayenne, and even in Carolina. YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBEAK. Loxia flaviventris, LINNÆUS; Le Grosbec jaune du Cap de Bonne Espérance, BRISSON; Der gelbafterige Kernbeisser, BECHSTEIN. I am not sure that this bird, which I have also seen amongst those of his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, is the true _Loxia flaviventris_ of Linnæus. It is of the size of the common chaffinch, and five inches long. The beak, which is moderately strong, very much resembles that of the chaffinch, and is of a horn brown. The feet are a dull brown. The head and neck are of a dull pale blue; the upper part of the body olive, the whole of the under part is a fine bright orange. The Yellow Grosbeak of the Cape of Good Hope is thus described:--the head, upper part of the neck, and back are olive, with stripes of brown; the rump olive. The under part of the body deep yellow; on each side of the head is a yellow band which passes above the eyes; the wings and tail feathers are brown, edged with olive. The female only differs in the colours being less vivid.