Birds of Gazaland. 19 



have kept a record shew an average of 5"1 inches (in the 

 flesh). Bill, culmen and point black, base silvery blue; 

 feet light blue-grey ; irides deep chestnut-brown ; somewhat 

 wattled eyelids, blue. 



22. EsTRiLDA ASTRiLDA. Common Waxbill. 

 Chindao : " Chiwanza-buri.^^ 



E-h., P. Plentiful throughout the country, usually in 

 winter in large flocks. A few high-veld localities for this 

 species which I happen to have noted specially are : in 

 Northern Melsetter, Melsetter itself and the Nyahode and 

 Lusitu Valleys ; in Southern Melsetter, the Inyamadzi Valley 

 and the neighbourhood of Chiriuda; Mounts Umtereni and 

 Maruma in Mafusi^s country ; and the Kurumadzi. In the 

 lowlands I found it commonly in parties in the dense sedge 

 surrounding the pools near Chibabava in December and 

 January, and also in the reeds bordering the river Buzi at 

 Inyaraita's. 



Six adult birds averaged 4'4 inches in the flesh, varying 

 only from 4'3 to 4*5. An immature bird measured 3"5 

 inches ; feet sepia-coloured. 



23. EsTRiLDA iNCANA. Soutli Africau Grey Waxbill. 



P. On August 4th of last year I shot one example out of a 

 small party of these Waxbills at the edge of some dense bush 

 near the Kurumadzi. They were searching the Leonotis- 

 flowers after the manner of White-eyes, but in this case, 

 as was evident from their stomach-contents, for the sake of 

 the seeds, not insects. My specimen, a male, measured 

 4-2 inches in the flesh : its bill was light blue, with the 

 commissure and tip dusky; the feet were blackish, and the 

 irides deep crimson-brown. 



24'. EsTRiLDA CLARKii. Orangc-brcasted Waxbill. 



Estrilda clarkei, Shelley, B. Afr. iv. pt. 1, p. 209. 



Rh., P. Early in June of last year a flock of a dozen indi- 

 viduals was to be seen daily for some time in the neighbour- 

 hood of a small stream near Chirinda, all in winter plumage, 

 while later in the same month I noted a similar party in the 



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