PLOCEUS ALBI NUCHA. 

 THE WHITE-NAPED WEAVER. 



PLATE I. (Upper tiguve juii.) 



Si/cohius aWitiU'/i I. llocage, -Torn. Lisboa, 187G, p. 247. 



Plnreris (3I('la)wp'fi-i/,r) nifjcrrimuf! (part), Reichcn. Zool. Jalirb. Jena, 



i. 188(5, p. 12."). 

 Plocrus nigerririvis (pt.), Shelley, Ibis. 1887, p. 38. 



u 



S. allihiiicha : S. nigerrinio niinilis, scd uilnoy ; nitidc ru'(/fr ; torque 

 occipital/ nUio-rario ; /v«/yv) </rnciIiiiri nii-iro ; pedibit-s fusci.'i " (Bocage). 



Afale 2 Similar to Ploceiis nigi'rrimun but much smaller, bill slighter, culmen straighter, or, 

 less curved ; not so black, strongly tinged witli dull brown on the primaries and tail ; 

 no nuchal patch, axillaries and under wing-coverts slaty grey ; under surface of 

 primaries ashy-grey ; quills of wings and tail black above and white below (in PL 

 ji.igerrimxs they are black above and brown below) ; abdomen, flanks, thighs and 

 under tail-coverts dull slaty-biown ; bill l)lack ; feet brown : length 5-45, wing 3-1, 

 tail 1'95, tarsus 0-7.">, culmen 0-73. No. 2. Proliably the male. 



yaitiiffl Similar, much smaller ; tinged with Ijrown above; nuchal patch greyish-white; 

 primaries and tail-feathers edged with dull brown ; throat and breast nearly black ; 

 belly, flanks, thighs and under tail-coverts dull slaty-brown ; bill brownish-black 

 paler at the base of the lower mandible ; feet pale Ijrown : length 4-S, wing 3'0.5, tail 1-9, 

 tarsus 0'65, culmen O'G"). Fig. Jun. Plate I. No. 3. Probably the female. 



Ohserr. This Si/cohius alOuiuc/ta, Bocage, I sliall con.sider a distinct species. The under 

 tail-coverts of the young bird (No. 3) above described are tipped with red. indicating a 

 different stage of plumage in the nestling. 



In separating this bii\l from the preceding speeies, I am doubtful whether 

 it sliould be placed under the genus Malimhif^ or r/occits. I figured the 



