Tivo Bare Whj/dahs. 301 



Mr. Goodchild's full and interesting extracts from the 

 " Ibis " of the species in a state of nature render further com- 

 ment superfluous. 



DrepanopIeGtes jachsoni (Sharpe). 



From Dr. S. L. Hinde's article in Piis 189S, p. 577. 



(Vide Shrirpc, I). is 1891, p. 24P, Plate V.) A o' ad. Mac- 

 hako'p,, Api-il .30th, 1896. 



Tlie males of this species frequently form a play-ground in 

 the long gra'-'S on the plains. The play-ground mads hy each bird 

 is circular, alwut 2 feet in diameter; the grass is beaten quite flat 

 inside the ring, except one tuft in the very centre. A flock of these 

 birds playing has a curious effect, as they jump about .3 feet into 

 the air and drop down agaiii into the circle, each bird jumping from 

 five to ten times in a minute. 



From F. T. Jackson's article, Iliis 1899, p. 599. 



" •Drepanoplectes jac'ksoni (Sharpe), This 1891, p. 247. 



" Coliipasser jacl-csoni (Shelley B.), Africa I., p. 24. 



"No. 77. cf. North of Lake Elmateita, April 25, 1896. Iris 

 b]-own; hi I pak,^ groon, the ba>e a^id the lower mandible black; feet 

 brownish black. Very plentiful, in large flecks." 



" Nos. 1180—1183, a" acl. Nandi, 6,000 feet, June 2, 1898." 



" Now commencing to breed. I found the nests, but only one 

 contained a single &gs- The nest is rather a flimsy structure, made 

 of fine dry grass and lined with the seed -heads of fine grass, with 

 an entrance at the side, like the nest of a Willow] Wren. It is 

 placed on the tdg'e of swampy rdac^s, but not on the coarse herbage 

 of the swamps, within an inch or two of the ground. The birds 

 bend down the surrounding blades of grass and weave them into the 

 top of the nest, which makes the latter not only more difficult to 

 detect, but also i'enders it more waterproof. Like Fenthctria lati- 

 cauda, the cock birds make play-gmunds for themselves, on which 

 they dance up and down on and off throughout the day, but more 

 vigorously in the ear]y mornings and late evenings. Yesterday even- 

 ing I watched several within a radius of 100 yards; and a truly 

 ridiculous sight it was to see these pitch-black curiously-shaped 

 objects, bobbing up and down out of the grass. From an ant-heap 

 c'ose by I watched for a long" time four cock birds within 40 yards 

 of ,me ; and as the sun was within half an hour of setting and 

 shining brightly at my back, I had a first-rate opportunitj^ of notic- 

 ing how tliey assumed their curious attitude, and succeeded in making* 

 a fairly accurate drawing' of them. The actual position is as follows: 

 The heaa is thrown back like that of a proud Turkey-cock, the 

 beak being held horizontally. The feet hang downwards; the tail 

 is held straight up till it touches the ruff at the base of the head 

 and neck, the ends of the feathers falling in a curve downwards, 

 with the exception of two tail-feathers which are held outward and 

 dowlnward. 



