18 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton on the 



in the Jihu, and invariably found singly, in pairs, or, at 

 most, in small family parties, usually in long grass or the 

 liigh weed-growth of abandoned cultivated fields. I have 

 never noted it in flocks. I had particularly good oppor- 

 tunities of observing these Waxbills in August and again in 

 November, on the Kurumadzi, where, next to Zusterops 

 anderssoni, they were the commonest birds, keeping entirely to 

 the high grass-jungle, always in pairs, and continually taking 

 short flights through the grass and uttering a rapid trickling 

 note. They at once took advantage of my cleared paths, 

 feeding all along them and allowing an approacli to within 

 five or eight yards when thus engaged. The pairs keep close 

 together, and on one occasion I trapped a male and female 

 simultaneously under the same stone. Localities specially 

 noted : Jihu, throughout ; Southern Melsetter, practically 

 throughout; Mafusi's (Umtereni, Maruma, Chikaraboge 

 Valley, and the hills to the north of this valley) ; Northern 

 Melsetter (Lusitu, Nyahode and Haroni rivers) ; Chibabava, 

 in the neighbourhood of the pools already mentioned; and, at 

 intervals, from Chibabava to Gwaragwara (see PI. I.). The 

 length of this bird in the flesh varies from 4'25 to 4'6 inches, 

 six specimens thus measured giving an average of 4'46. 

 The upper mandible is dusky grey and the lower paler, some- 

 times whitish, the whole strongly tinged with blue ; the feet 

 are light ashy grey, the irides brown. In the immature 

 bird the upper mandible and the tip of the lower are blackish, 

 the base of the latter pinkish white. 



21. Lagonosticta NiVEo-GUTTATA. Pcters^s Ruddy Waxbill. 



Eh., P. Fairly common at Maruma and in the Chikam- 

 boge Valley, as well as about Chirinda; but particularly 

 plentiful on the Kurumadzi and in other parts of the Jihu, 

 where it goes about singly or in pairs, or, occasionally, in 

 threes or fours, in the grass-jungle, particularly about the 

 edges of the denser bush. Its habits, as also one of its 

 notes, greatly resemble those of L. rhodojjareia. In length 

 it shews considerable variation, 4*9 and 5*85 being both 

 measurements of males, and the four specimens of which I 



