274 PLOCEID^. 



f S iwv. sk. Foda, Nov. Emin Pasha [P.]. 



g. S ad. sk. Tino-asi, Sept. 23. Emin Pa-slia [P.]. 



h. 2 ad. sk. Tanjiiuoro, Oct. 5. Emin Paslia [P.]. 



2. Lagonosticta niveiguttata. 



Spermospiza guttata {nee V.), Biunc. Spec. Zool. Mosamh. fasc. xviii. 



p. 326 (1867). 

 Spemiopliaga niveiguttata, Pefers, J. /. O. 1868, p, 133; Cab. J.f. O. 



1878, p. 230 ; Eeichen. J.f. O. 1887, p 309. 

 Estrilda niveiguttata, Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 52, no. 6727 (1870). 

 Hypargus niveiguttatus, Finsch iif Hartl. Voy. O.stafr. p. 448 (1870) ; 



Shelley, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 5o8, pi. oi. fig. 2 ; Fischer, Zeitschr. yes. 



0)-n. i. p. 323 (1884) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 477 



(1884) ; Fischer, J. f. O. 1885, p. 135 ; Matschie, J. f. 0. 1877, 



pp. 143, 154. 



Adult, General colour above warm chocolate-brown, with a wash 

 of crimson on the hind neck and back : rump and upper tail-coverts 

 dark crimson ; wing-coverts like the back, with a tinge of crimson 

 on their margins ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky 

 blackish, externally brown like the back ; centre tail-feathers dull 

 crimson, the remainder black, externally duU crimson ; crown of 

 head dark ashy, contrasting with the back; loi'es, eyebrow, sides of 

 face, ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, and chest deep crimson ; remainder 

 of under surface black, the sides of body plentifully spotted with 

 large rounded spots of white ; a slight wash of crimson visible on 

 the black underparts here and there, especially on the imdcr tail- 

 coverts ; under wing-coverts white, with a dusky patch near the 

 edge of the wing ; quills below dusky, ashy along the inner edge : 

 " bill bluish grey, the point, cnlmen, and cutting-edges of upper 

 mandible as well as the tip of the lower mandible black ; feet lead- 

 colour, claws brownish ; iris brown" (G. A. Fischer). 



Adult female (?). Browner than the male, especially on the sides 

 of the head and throat, the latter being brown, washed with crimson, 

 the fore neck becoming entirely crimson, but much duUer than in 

 the male, as is the red colour of the upper tail-coverts and tail; 

 breast browner, slightly tinged with red, and spotted with white, 

 the white spots having a black line above and below. 



Tounq (?). Browner than the adults, the head only a little more 

 ashy; the throat and chest tawny brown, with a little crimson on 

 the latter ; breast and abdomen ashy brown, spotted with white, 

 each white spot bordered with black above and below. 



The above description may be found to apply to the adult female, 

 and the bird which I suppose to be the old female may be after aU 

 a young male, just getting his crimson throat. 



Hab, East Africa, from the Lake districts and Zanzibar to 

 Inhambane. 



a. Imm. sk. East Africa. Sharpe Coll. 



6, c. Ad. sk. Paugani {Sir J. Kirk). Shelley Coll. 



