10 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton 07i the 



last December. In Chirinda it may often be seen during 

 the latter half of October and early in November, usually 

 in pairs, when it frequents the staminate individuals of a 

 common beech-like Crofon, which is then in full bloom, 

 moving about quietly amongst the flower-laden twigs aud 

 gathering in a great harvest of insects ; occasionally, while 

 thus engaged, it utters a loud call, midway between a 

 "Weaver's "spink'' and the creaking note of a Drongo. 



The length of this Weaver in the flesh varies from 6'5 to 

 G'O inches. 



16. A.MBLYospiZA ALBiFKoxs. Tliick-biUed Weaver-bird, 

 P. 1 found this Weaver in some numbers at certain large 

 pools a few miles east of Chibabava, flying about amongst 

 the tall sedge {Ci/perus sp.) or settling, sometimes several 

 together, on the smaller trees along the margin. Occasionally 

 a party would fly right away into the scattered open bush, 

 doubtless to feed. Numbers of their nests, inverted ovals of 

 dry grass, neatly woven, and attached, after the manner 

 of a Kecd-Warbler or Bishop-Bird, to the tall upright 

 Ci/pems -stems, could be seen in the deeper pools, but were 

 quite inaccessible owing to the crocodiles. 



A breeding male, shot on December 12th, measured 

 79 inches in the flesh; both mandibles of bill were black 

 throughout, the irides brown, the feet dull grey. The 

 stomach contained seeds only. Actually this specimen 

 (No. 1169), in the extent of white on its forehead and the 

 darker brown of its head, approaches very closely to the 

 more northern A. imicolor. 



IT. Pytelia melba. Southern Red-faced Weaver-Finch. 



Rh., P. I have found this Weaver on one occasion only, 

 on November 24th (near the Chinyika River, Jihu), when I 

 shot a male, nine feet from the ground in a small thorny 

 Acacia natalitia, beside its unfinished nest, a light rounded 

 structure of fine branching grass-heads stripped of their 

 seeds. Bill very bright red, feet vandyk-brown, irides pinkish 

 orange, and lower eyelid, closed, light blue-grey. Length in 

 tlie flesh 5 inches. 



