28 



While collecting the materials connected with the present bird, it became 

 evident from the extremely few localities given (which is the only means 

 of determining the distribution of a species) that it occupied a very 

 limited area, in comparison to the preceding species, T. panicivora. 



The latter bird, whatever its origin, inhabits a triangular portion of 

 East and South Africa, from Somali-land across Victoria N'yanza to 

 Benguela on the South West and the whole of the central territories to the 

 East Coast, while this black or more Northern bird, inhabits a large tract 

 of country from Nubia and Abyssinia on the North East to Senegambia 

 in N. West and West Africa, keeping apparently between 10" S. to 17° N. 

 latitude, Capt. Shelley says—" South from about 16" N. lat." 



The intermediate race taking the central lake country Victoria N'yanza 

 to Shoa in the N. E. and Somali. 



The habits and economy of this weaver, are I may say, very similar 

 to the preceding species, living in colonies of no fixed number of indi- 

 viduals, always selecting high trees in which to construct its rude nest 

 and rear its young, they are said to be a very noisy and quarrelsome 

 congregation, seeking their food on the ground like flocks of starlings. 



From among the detailed observations on this peculiar bird, it affords 

 me much pleasure to add a translation of Dr. A. E. Brehm's account : — 

 " During our journey I found colonies of the great black weaver [Texior 

 alecto) on some high Mimosa-trees in the Samchara. This bird is 

 unquestionably one of the most extraordinary phenomena of his whole 

 species. He is a finch, and yet he resembles the thrush in more than one 

 particular ; he is a weaver-bird, and builds himself a nest which is much 

 more like that of our magpies than the elegant edifices erected by his 

 relations. He difiers from these in cry and in disposition in a moi'e 

 remarkable way than in his appearance. 



" One cannot exactly say that the black weaver is a particularly 

 common bird : I have only found him South of the 16" of Northern 

 latitude and there by no means often. He forms settlements wherever 

 he appears ; he is not seen alone. The settlements are not large. I 

 counted three, sis, tloirt^ep and eighteen nests on the trees. The tree 



