NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Masked Weaver Bird (Hyphantornis velatus). (Vol. I., 

 p. 193O 

 Description. — Male in breeding plumage : forehead, cheeks, 

 and throat black. Back olive-yellow, indistinctly streaked with 

 brown. Crown and rest of body golden-yellow. Upper tail 

 coverts yellow. Wings brown, the quills edged with brown. 

 Tail feathers dark olive-brown with yellow edging. Iris 

 orange-red. Bill black. Legs and feet rose colour. 



Length, 5.80 ; tail, 2.10 ; wing, 3. 00. 

 In winter the male loses most of its bright yellow colouring. 

 It changes to ashy-brown streaked and tinged with yellow. 

 The female resembles the male in winter plumage. 



Distribution. — From central parts of Cape Province to the 

 regions north of the Limpopo. 



Habits. — The masked weavers live and breed in large 

 colonies. The nests are kidney shaped, suspended from the 

 ends of branches overhanging water ; they are also attached to 

 reeds. The nest in this instance is woven to two reeds, one 

 on each side. Eggs, 3 ; they vary in colour, white, blue, 

 pink, green, or cream, sometimes unspotted, but usually spotted 

 with various shades of red and brown ; they are occasionally 

 blotched and clouded with the same colours. 



Black Widow Finch {Hypochera fimerea). (Vol. I., 

 P- 193O 

 Description. — Adult male in breeding season : entire body 

 purplish-black with a slight gloss. Sometimes there is a tuft 

 of white feathers on each side of the lower back, and sometimes 

 not. Primary wing coverts, quills, and outer secondaries 

 light brown. Tail light brown edged with whitish. Iris 

 brown. Bill white. Legs and feet red. 



Length.^ 4.25 ; tail, 1.60 ; wing, 2.70. 



The female is brown above, and each feather has a dark 

 centre. Eyebrow whitish with a dusky streak above. Cheeks 

 dull white. Under parts greyish-white ; darker on the sides. 



Male resembles the female in winter. 



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