10. PL0CEIPAS8EE. 245 



Key to the Species. 



a. Crown of head black ; eyebrow white. 



«'. No black markings or spots on the fore neck. 



a" . Bill pale horn-brown mahali, p. 245. 



b" . Bill black melanorhynchus, p. 246. 



b' . With black markings on the fore neck. 



a". Bill black pectoralis, p. 247. 



b". Bill brown i)ropinquatud, p. 247. 



6. Crown of head ashy grey with a broad lateral 



stripe of black ; eyebrow ashy grey ; back 



rufous-browu ritfoscapulatits, p. 248. 



c. Crown tawny rufous ; eyebrow whitish ; bill 



pale supeixiliosus, p. 248. 



1. Ploceipasser mahali. 



Plocepasser mahali, Smith, Rep. E.iped. C. Afr. App. p. 51 (1836); 



id. 111. Zoul. S. Afr., Aves, p. 65 (1841) ; Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 354 



(1849) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 443 (1850) ; Gray, ^Hand-l. B. ii. p. 47, 



no. 6655 (1870) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 256 ; Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. 



p. 61(1871); Gurney in Andeiss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 106 (1872); 



Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 380 ; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 318 (1877-81) ; 



Ayres, Ibis, 1880, p. 263 ; Sharjye in Oates' Matabele-Land, App. 



B'.-p. 321 (1881) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 351 ; Molub Sr Von Pelz. 



Beitr. Orn. Siidafr. p. 120, cum fig. (1882) ; Shaipe, ed. Iayard!s 



B. S. Afr. pp. 447, 848 (1884) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1887, p. 5. 

 Leucophrys pileatus, Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 287 (1837). 

 PhilagTus mahali, Cab. 3Ius. Hein. Th. i. p. 179 (1850). 

 Agrophilus hsematocephalus, Licht. Nomencl. Av. Mus. Berol. p. 50 



(1854). 

 Plocepasser pileatus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 187 (1867). 



Adult male. General colour above light brown ; scapulars like 

 the back ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts jjure white ; 

 lesser wing-coverts rather more ashy brown than the back ; median 

 coverts brown, with a broad white ending fonning a bar ; greater 

 coverts blackish, tipped with white, forming a second wing-bar but 

 not so broad ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dark brown, 

 broadly edged with light fawn-colour or whity brown, the inner 

 secondaries resembling the innermost greater coverts ; tail-feathers 

 dark brown, edged with lighter brown and tipped with white ; 

 crown of head black, as far as the occiput and nape ; hind neck 

 brown, as also the sides of the neck ; lores, feathers round eye, and 

 cheeks black ; sides of face and ear-coverts brown, above the latter 

 a broad white eyebrow extending to the sides of the neck ; throat 

 white ; sides of neck brown like the back ; remainder of under 

 surface of bodj- isabelliue, browner on the sides of the breast, sides 

 of body, and flanks ; lower breast, abdomen, thighs, and under tail- 

 coverts isabelline whitish : under wing-coverts and axillaries isabel- 

 line : quills below dusky brown, ashy isabelline along the inner 

 edge : "bill, feet, and toes yellowish red'' (C. J. Andersson) : " bill 

 dusky, nearly black ; tarsi and feet pale brown ; iris bright red- 



