fi'om Somaliland and Southern Abyssinia. 615 



only a few had the orange shoulder-patch, which was coa- 

 spicuous when they flew. — A. E. P.] 



18. PrROMELANA FRANCISCANA. 



Pyro?nelana franciscana {Isert) ; Grant, Ibis, 1900, p. 125. 



a. ? . Goraboutha, S. Abyssinia, 17th Feb. No. 529. 



^-9' S ? • Tadejeraulka, S. Abyssinia, 4th Mar. Nos. 

 608-611, 616, 617. 



Ji. c?. Filwa, S. Abyssinia, 8th Mar. No. 650. 

 S . Iris brown ; bill black ; legs brown. 

 ? . Iris, bill, and legs brown. 



The males before us, shot on 4th March, are in very varied 

 stages of plumage. One is in almost perfect breeding-dress; 

 a second has assumed half the breeding-garb ; while a third 

 is in a much less advanced condition. 



The female may be at once distinguished from that of 

 P. taha — which it closely resembles, and with flocks of which 

 it often associates — by the lack of the dark band above the 

 ear-coverts, 



[In February the Orange Weaver- Finches were all in the 

 dark plumage — e.g. No. 529. In March they had already 

 changed their dress, and some had nearly assumed their 

 striking breeding-plumage. — A. E. P.] 



19. Pyromelana taha. 



Pyromelana taha (Smith) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 

 xiii. p. 242 (1890). 



a,b. $. Ounji, S.Abyssinia, 19th Feb. Nos. 538,542. 



Iris brown ; bill and legs dark brown. 



Two specimens in brown plumage agree with examples of 

 P. taha from South Africa rather than with the smaller form, 

 P. ladoensis, their wing-measurements being respectively 2*5 

 and 2*6 inches. 



[The same note applies to the Taha Weaver-Finch as to 

 P. franciscana. — A. E. P.] 



20. Pyromelana xanthomelana. 



Pyromelana xanthomelana (Rlipp.) ; Grant, Ibis, 1900, 

 p. 125; 1901, p. 284. 



