— 168 — 



Not one of the three male-specimens is in full dress, but 

 they represent the different phases of transition to that dress. 



The one which most closely approaches the breeding dress 

 has still a few solitary black feathers on the forehead. The 

 underpart black in other respects like adults. The one coming 

 next has numerous red feathers among the predominant black- 

 brown ones on the nape and back. The sides of the. head dark- 

 brown, the nape scarlet red. The under surface black with large 

 light yellowish brown feathers here and there, congregated to 

 form almost to a band across the breast. 



The third is more like a young bird, but has near the 

 nape a hidden ring of scarlet-red feathers. One or two of the 

 upper tail coverts with a red wash. Lower tail coverts pale 

 yellowish brown. In other respects like the young bird. 



The female resembles 9 of Pyronielana nigrifrons, but is 

 darker on the upper part. The yellowish brown patch on the 

 fore-neck and breast somewhat paler and without the dark streaks. 

 (Reichenow, op. cit, states that the female of this race has 

 the fore-neck more darkly streaked than F. franciscana). 

 Wing, tarsus, 



cT 1 61 mm. 17 mm. 



cT 2 57 mm. 17 mm. 



cf 3 58 mm. 17 mm. 



9 53 mm. 15 mm. 



Irides dark-brown; bill dark greyish brown (Reichenow: 

 black.); legs^pale flesh-coloured. 



Euplectes capensis xanthomelas Riipp. — Rchw. III. p. 128. 



Pyromelana xanthomelaena Riipp. 



Ngalia . . . ki-kamba. 



1 c5 ad. 10. 4. Nairobi. — 1 (5 ad. 14. 4. Ngong. — 1 (5 ad. 18. 4. Kiambu. — 



1 (5 ad. 6. 5. Londiani. — 1 (5 ad. 15. 5. Soy. — 5 66 ad. 20. 5.-19. 6. 



Mount Elgon. — 2 QQ juv. 18. 4. Kiambu. — 2 QQ ad. 20. a. 22. 4. Lake 



Naiwasha. — 1 5 juv. 24. 8. Mount Elgon. 



At every place through which our expedition passed this 

 race was one of the commonest of the small birds. It was mostly 

 met with in the bush-country, but on Elgon I came across it 

 almost everywhere in the depths of the forests, out on the grass 

 steppe and in the acacia-country. When we marched along the 

 roads on the way to Elgon, we continually saw this Weaver bird 

 sitting in the top of some little bush by the way-side. 



In the series of 10 males found in the collections not a 

 single one has black thighs, which Reichenow gives (op. cit.) 

 as the main character for this form. Some of the specimens 

 have these parts entirely yellowish brown — like the females — 

 others have chiefly brown feathers with here and there a few 

 black ones, and then again some have mainly black thighs with 



