166 Mr. E. C. Chubb on the Birds of 



133. Serinus shelleyi. 



Serinus shelleyi, Neumann, Orn. Monatsb. xi. p. 184 (1908) . 



a. ? . July 28, 1907. 



134. Emberiza flaviventris. 



Emberiza flaviventris Stark, Birds S. A£r. i. p. 184. 

 ISIot uncommon. 



135. Fringillaria tahapisi. 



Fringillaria tahapisi Stark, Birds S. Afr. i. p. 189. 

 *a. ? . Nov. 26, 1907. 



136. Hypochera funerea. 



Hypochera funerea Stark, Birds S. Afr. i. p. 153. 

 *a. S ■ J^ec. 9, 1907. 



b. S- J:iii- 12, 1908. 

 *c. S • t'eb. 29, 1908. 



Uucoramoii. b was shot in a thorn-bush. 



a is in changing plumage ; there are some brown 

 feathers on the back and some white ones on the underside 

 intermingled with the black. 



Bill "white; legs and feet flesh-colour; iris very dark 

 brown. The stomach of b contained small seeds. 



137. Vidua paradisea. 



Vidua paradisea Stark, Birds S. Afr. i. p. 149. 



" Umasiyabundu." 



A common resident, and like Tetranura regia is in the 

 summer a prominent feature of our bird-life. The males 

 begin to dun their bright livery early in November and lose 

 it again in March. One shot on November 25 is already in full 

 dress, except that the long tail-feathers are not yet developed. 



During the summer the males are usually met with sepa- 

 rately, accompanied by their hosts of females, but occasionally 

 two or three cocks may be seen together, and I once (Jan. 5) 

 saw a flock of about twenty-five males all in full plumage. 



Although their diet consists chiefly of small seeds, it is 

 varied sometimes by insects. Mr. Mennell tells me he once 

 saw a number of males and females devouring flying termites 

 as thev swarmed from a hole in the ground. 



