398 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Frick's weaver is hardly more than a race of P. reichenowi^ as has 

 been suggested by van Someren ^^ who finds intermediates between 

 the two in the Elgon area. 



Mearns ^° has suggested that the few examples of Ploceus reichenowi 

 recorded from southern Ethiopia may be males of O. fricki and that 

 the two females from Sidamo and Djamdjam recorded as O. stuhl- 

 manni by Neumann may be females of 0. fricki. This seems quite 

 likely; van Someren examined Neumann's birds and found that 

 Mearns was correct in his assumption. 



The relationships of fricki^ reichenowi, stuhlmanni, and emini 

 are still poorly understood. It is of great interest to find that fricki 

 has one plumage like that of the corresponding sex (male) of 

 reichenowi, and the other like that (female) of stuhlnianni. 



This bird is known only from the Sidamo and Djamdjam districts 

 of Ethiopia. 



Inasmuch as little has been written about Frick's weaver, and as 

 the original description may not be readily accessible to some investi- 

 gators, I append Mearns's notes on the plumages of this bird : 



Description of the adult male in treeding plumage. — Forehead and most of 

 crown apricot yellow ; a band round the back of the ear-coverts, sides of upper 

 neck, cheeks, and entire under parts empire yellow; auricular patch, back 

 of head and neck, and mantle brownish black, the latter with the unworn 

 feathers more or less edged with olive-yellowish-green ; lower back, rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and rectrices warbler green; wings brownish black with 

 pyrite yellow edges to the feathers, these edges being confined to the ends 

 of the lesser and median coverts, the outer edges of the greater coverts and 

 quills; iris pale yellow; bill black; feet and claws pale brown. In unworn 

 plumage the yellow extends over the entire head and nape, but, posteriorly, the 

 yellow feather-tips quickly disappear with wear. 



Description of the adult female in breeding plumage. — Top and sides of 

 head brownish black ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts yellowish olive-green, 

 the mantle, only, with broad black shaft-streaks ; wings as in the male ; entire 

 under parts empire yellow. 



Description of young in first pJmnage (females, still attended by parents). — 

 Top of head, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts warbler green, washed with 

 brownish-grayish on the mantle, which is also shaft-streaked with brown ; 

 wings brown, with buffy-white outer edges to the secondaries, and pyrite yellow 

 edges to the coverts and outer edge of primaries; auricular patch duskier than 

 crown ; under parts pinard yellow anteriorly, becoming pale drab-gray on lower 

 abdomen and crissum. 



Measurements of type (adult male). — Length of skin, 150; wing, 80; tall, 62; 

 culmen (chord), 18.2; tarsus, 24. 



Average measurements of four adult males. — Wing, 80.25; tail, 60.5; culmen 

 (chord), 18.5; tarsus, 23.5. 



Average measurements of three adult female topotypes. — Wing, 78; tail, 59; 

 culmen (chord), 17.33; tarsus. 22.2 [mm]. 



*»Nov. Zool., vol. 29, p. 137. 1922. 



w Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 61, uo. 14, p. 2, 1913. 



