242 Mr. R. Kemp on the Birds of 



These birds were common both at Rotifunk and Bo, at the 

 former place roosting in the lime- and mango-trees. They were 

 much lighter sleepers than Spermestes cucullatus or S.fringil- 

 loicles, which roosted in an adjoining tree, and when aroused at 

 night the nutter of their many wings against the leaves made 

 a noise like a waterfall. A palm-tree in the station-yard bore 

 considerably over one hundred of their nests and was the 

 scene of great excitement in the morning and evening. 

 During and after the rains these Weaver-birds sometimes 

 assemble in large flocks and fly together after the manner 

 of Starlings, turning and twisting in the air, shewing now 

 yellow, now green, and again becoming invisible. 



128. Hyphaxtorxis cucullatus. 



Ploceus cucullatus (Mull.) ; Reichcn. Yog. Afrikas, iii. 

 p. 59 (1904). 



A large series from Bo : April, May, June, August, and 

 September 1903. Irides brick-red ; bill slate-coloured ; feet 

 and claws flesh-coloured. 



A coarse and noisy bird, doing great destruction in the rice- 

 farms. It commences building in August and continues 

 either building or patching its nest throughout September 

 and into October. The nesting-colonies are always near a 

 town or village or some busy place like a railway-station. 

 There are many hundreds of their nests made of fibres, which 

 they pull from banana-leaves, built in the large trees in the town 

 of Bo ; and though the birds are generally there in numbers, 

 the great bulk of them go away occasionally for several days 

 together. They fly, usually in parties of from twenty to fifty, 

 from the large trees to some neighbouring rice-clearing, their 

 flight being rapid and strong, while the whirr of their wings 

 can be heard at some distance. They quite ignore the native 

 efforts at bird-scaring for the protection of the rice-crops. 



129. ClXXAMOPTERYX CASTAN EOFUSCUS. 



Ploceus castaneofuscus Less. ; Reichen. Vog. Afrikas, iii. 

 p. 53(1904). 



Bo, February (immature <$ ) and October (? ?) 1904. 

 Bill, feet, and claws of immature male flesh-coloured. 



