obtained in British East Africa. 599 



26. Drepanoplectes jacksoni. 



Drepanoplectes jacksoni Sharpe, Ibis, 1891, p. 247. 



Coliipasstr jacksoni Shelley, B. Africa, i. p. 24 (1896). 



No. n. $ . N. of Lake Elmateita, April 25, 1896. Iris 

 brown ; bill pale green, tbe base and the lower mandible 

 black ; feet brownish black. Very plentiful in large flocks. 



Nos. 1180-1183. $ ad. Nandi, 6000 feet, June 2, 1898. 



Now commencing to breed. I found the nests, but only 

 one contained a single egg. The nest is rather a flimsy 

 structure, made of fine dry grass and lined with the seed- 

 heads of fine grass, with an entrance at tlie side, like the 

 nest of a Willow Wren. It is placed on the edge of swampy 

 places, but not on the coarse herbage of the swamps, within 

 an inch or two of the ground Tiie birds bend down the 

 surrounding blades of grass and weave them into the top of the 

 nest, which makes the latter not only more difficult to detect, 

 but also renders it more waterproof. Like Penthetria lati- 

 cauda, the cock birds make play-grounds for themselves, on 

 which they dance up and down on and off throughout the day, 

 but more vigorously in the early mornings and late evenings. 

 Yesterday evening I watched several within a radius of 

 100 yards; and a truly ridiculous sight it was to see these 

 pitch-black, curiously-shaped objects, bobbing up and down 

 out of the grass. From an ant-heap close by I watched for 

 a long time four cock birds within 40 yards of me ; and as 

 the sun was within half an hour of settin"; and shiniuar 

 brightly at my Imck, I had a first-rate opportunity of 

 noticing how they assumed their curious attitude, and 

 succeeded in making a fairly accurate drawing of them. 

 The actual position is as follows : — The head is thrown back 

 like that of a proud Turkey-cock, the beak being held 

 horizontally. The feet hang downward; the tail is held 

 straight up till it touches the ruff at the base of the head 

 and neck, the ends of the feathers falling in a curve down- 

 ward, with the exception of two tail-feathers which are 

 held outward and downward. 



While actually rising in the air the half-open wings are 

 worked with a very quick shivering motion, and the feet are 



2s2 



