EcfQt; of certain South African Passerine Birds. 5 



forming a broad, fairly well-defined zone round the larger 

 end, the spots from the zone flowing towards both poles. 

 On one of the eggs these markings are finer, on the others 

 they are slightly larger and a little more pronounced. The 

 shape is ovate, and they measure 26'0xl9'0 and 27*0 X 

 19-0 mm. [G. H. G.] 



Figs. 7-16. 



Hypiiantornls mariquensis (Smith). (Masked Weaver 

 Bird.) 



Shelley, Birds of Africa, vol. iv. pp. 399, 405. 



Hypliantornis velatus, Stark & Sclater, Fauna of S. Africa, 

 Birds, vol. i. p. 58. 



The eggs figured are from a very fine set of clutches taken 

 by Mr. Duncan, of Johannesburg. 



The intergradation of plumage between some of the 

 members of this group is very noticeable, and the determina- 

 tion of the more or less accepted species somewhat puzzling. 



The late Dr. Stark gave a " Key" (Fauna S. Afr., Birds, 

 vol. i. pp. 55 & 50), which Mr. W. L. Sclater does not now 

 consider satisfactory, and for which he proposes to substitute 

 another (vide Ann. S. Afr. Museum, vol. iii. pt. viii. no. 9, 

 p. 367). It will perhaps be useful to give both in extenso 

 (vide p. 6). 



Sclater (Faun. S. Afr., Birds, vol. i. p. 59) writes : 

 " Specimens (of //. velatus) from northern localities are 

 smaller and brighter than those from further south. They 

 have been separated and called 11. mar>(juensis ; but there 

 is a regular gradation in size and colour from south to north 

 and vice versa." 



Capt. Shelley separates IT. velatus into two subspecies. 

 In identifying a cock bird shot by Mr. Duncan off" one of 

 the nests, from which the eggs figured were taken, he writes 

 to me under date 5th Jan., 1906: — "The bird sent me is 

 H. mariquensis (Smith) in full male plumage, well figured, 

 ' Ibis,' 1868, pi. X. Both Stark and Reichenow unite it to 

 Ploceus velatus (Vieill.), the Namaqua form, which ranges 

 from Western Cape Colony into Benguela, while your bird 



