A New Bird Species A recent "bird - letter " from Al g eria
particularly interested me because it was largely concerned with a species that may become a regular English visitor. It is, I am told, increasing very rapidly in its more natural haunts and therefore enlarging its sphere. The bird is the Serin finch, which has a close resemblance to a canary. The African observer writes that the Serins vastly outnumbered all other species round about a water-hole that he watched ; and he gave a very bright picture of their alert, watchful ways when they journeyed from the feeding grounds to drink and bathe. This canary finch pays occasional visits to the south of England, showing, like Kipling, a strong preference for Sussex, and it is, I believe, spreading its range northwards both in France and Germany. As illustration of the bird's cleanliness the African observer reports that it did not forget to wash behind the ears!
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