572 Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornithological 



of mellow musical chirps^ which became long and boisterous 

 on an important advent_, such as a string of carriers passing 

 by. These woods are very silent, few birds seem to care to 

 haunt them_, and but for these Weavers the monotonous 

 silence would scarcely ever be broken. The same tree is 

 resorted to year after year, and the old nests used as roosting- 

 places when the breeding-season is over, and these undei^go 

 constant repairing. The nests, built in pendent branches 

 and about 15 to 20 feet from the ground, are composed of 

 fine dried grass like dry hay, and generally liued with 

 Guinea-fowl feathers, in construction resembling those of 

 our House-Sparrow, and are also about the same size, the 

 entrances of all the nests in one colony always facing one 

 way, in an outward direction. They are, as a rule, untidy- 

 looking structures, no attempt at trimming being made, and 

 remind one forcibly of hedgerows in England, past which 

 haycarts have journeyed and left bunches of hay on the 

 branches. In flight this bird looks much like some 

 large Wheatear, its white rump being very conspicuous. 

 During the breeding-season the male sings rather prettily, 

 melodious whistles being introduced into the usual string of 

 musical chirps. 



Adult (^ . Bill black ; iris claret-colour ; legs and feet 

 brown. 



44. Anaplectes rubriceps (Sundev.). 



A rather shy species, keeping much to the thick portions 

 of the woods in little flocks of five or six birds, in which the 

 male sex predominates to a very large extent. On nearly 

 every occasion there Avere on an average four males to one 

 female. The white flower of the baobab ofiers them a good 

 deal of attraction, and it is a pretty sight to witness them 

 attacking the pendent half-opened buds as they hang head 

 downward from some branch above, the immaculate white- 

 ness of the flowers bearing a striking contrast to their 

 vermilion-feathered breasts. From this habit of suspending 

 themselves from branches, the white feathers of the abdomen 

 become very grimy-looking. 



The amount of vermilion on the breasts of individuals 



