Two Months' Bird- collecting on the Gold Coast. 289 



flocks; and in similar localities found Lamprocolius auratus. 

 These handsome birds are strong on the wing and generally to be 

 met with in flocks in the open country. Their irides are yellow. 



Corvus scapulaius closely resembles the Hooded Crow in its 

 habits, and is plentifully distributed throughout the country. 



Hyphantorms castnneofuscus generally frequents the more 

 wooded districts, where it is very common : the irides are yellow 

 in the males and brown in the females and young. H. textor is 

 even more common : it selects some tree of moderate height 

 close to a village for breeding, which it literally covers with 

 pendent nests. H. vitellina, a nearly allied species, is far less 

 abundant, though rather evenly distributed. H. brachjpterus 

 we met with usually in pairs. H. pcrsonatus, known as the 

 Palm-bird, suspends its nest from beneath the leaves of the 

 cocoa-nut trees, as many as four or five sometimes hanging from 

 one frond. All these species of Hyphantornithes differ in the 

 plumage of the sexes. Malimbus cristatus and M. nitens we ob- 

 tained at Abouri, where they were plentiful, frequenting the 

 large trees. Nigrita emilice and N. bicolor also inhabit the 

 more wooded districts, where they are not uncommon. The 

 irides of both species are red. Foudia enjthrops,Euplectes fran- 

 ciscana, and E. flammiceps are common, usually in flocks, in the 

 more open districts. The red plumage of the two latter species 

 is assumed about April. Vidua principalis we found plentiful 

 on the road to Abrobonko. In the dry season the long tail- 

 feathers, so characteristic of this species, are absent, and the ge- 

 neral plumage is mottled brown and black. Coliostruthus ma- 

 crurus frequents the more open country about Accra. The 

 winter plumage is mottled brown and black ; and in some of the 

 specimens we shot the yellow patch on the carpal joint is absent, 

 the birds being probably immature. 



Spermestes bicolor we only met rather sparingly at Abouri, 

 while S. cucullata was very common at Cape Coast. Lagono- 

 sticta rufo-picta, is extremely abundant about Cape Coast, where 

 they are generally met with in small flocks, frequenting the 

 paths and adjacent bushes. 



Pytelia hypogrammica. We shot a specimen of this rare bird 

 at Abokobi, in the dense bush. 



SER. III. VOL. II. Y 



