50 Mr. G. L. Bates — Field-Notes on the 



by Reiclienow, that he found eggs at Kakoma from the be- 

 ginning of April to the end of j\Iay. Kakoma, in German 

 East Africa, is in about 6° S. lat., and Kasongo in about 

 4° S. lat. Thus, if the dates are correct, the times of 

 breeding and changing plumage in this species at my place 

 in W. Africa, a little north of the Equator, are exactly the 

 reverse of those in Central and East Africa, a little south of 

 the Equator. 



The breeding males use all means to attract attention. As 

 if their flaming plumage ^vas not enough in itself, they perch 

 on the most prominent bushes and grass-tops, and fly from 

 place to place slowly and with much fluttering of wings, all 

 the while singing their little chattering, but rather sweet, 

 song. 



The nests are about the size and something of the shape 

 ofthoseof the Ngas [Heteryphantes nigricollis). But they 

 are more loosely constructed than those of most Weavers, 

 and have the entrance wide, and its edges with all the ends 

 loose, giving them an unfinished appearance. Iq this and in 

 the use of many fine grass-tops for the inside or lining of 

 the structure, and more particularly in the fact that the nests 

 are not hung or tied to a twig but merely set in the forks, 

 these birds shew their relationship to the Spermestine division 

 of the family rather than to the Ploceine. 



The number of eggs found in a nest is two or three. 

 Five that were measured varied thus : 18-20 x 14-145 mm. 



[Six eggs of the species are of a somewhat oval form and 

 distinctly glossy. The ground-colour is pale greenish-blue, 

 and is generally very sparingly marked, especially towards 

 the larger end, with rounded spots of purplish-black or deep 

 purplish-lilac. — O.-G.] 



1447. Spermestes cucullata. [Aseleke.] 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 345. 



With this bird we come to the first species of the tiny 

 Weavers that go about in flocks when not breeding and 

 here form such an interesting part of the bird-world in 

 open grassy places ;they all avoid the dark forest. This 



