198 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



Rues says that this species has been known since 

 Vieillot's time, but is very rare and only imported 

 singly. The first known to him was received by E. 

 Geupel, of I^eipzic, in 1871, a dealer who often obtained 

 rai'e birds from England, and subsecpiently Gudera, of 

 Antwerp, and Hagenbeck occasionally secured single 

 Bpecimens. 



In his article in The Avicultural Magazine, 1st Ser., 

 Vol. III., p. 126. the late Mr. Krskine Allon says that 

 he has " four pairs of that ridiculous creature the 

 Frontal Grosbea.k (S poropipes frontalis). Half Weavers 

 and half Sparrows, they belie their lineage by being of 

 a peaceful disposition; and they sing like Mannikins! 

 Each pair appears inseparable. Eating, drinking, an<l 

 aa nearly as po^fible flying together, they l^ok like 

 Siamese twins. A row of them gradually elongating 

 their necks simultaneously is an absurd sight." 



White-fronted Wea\t:r [Amblyospiza albifrons). 



Upp?r surface deep chooolate-bmmj, becoming almost 

 black on the lower back, wings, ajid tail ; base of the 

 quills white forming a conspicuous speculum ; feathers 

 of back, upper tiil-ooverts and wings with naiTow 

 brownish buif margins; foreheiid -white; lores and 

 feathers below eye blackish; throat and fore-chest 

 chocolate-brown like the bead, shading into slate-grey 

 with darker shaft-stripes on the breast, abdomen, 

 thighs and iinder tail-coverts ; under -wTng-coverts and 

 ajdllariea blackish ; flights below blackish-brown with a 

 broad white hamd aoross tlie base of the quills ; beak 

 grey, black at base of iiipper mandible; feet Teddish- 

 brown ; irides dark brown. Female above dark brown, 

 ■with darker centres and sandy brownish margins to the 

 feathers ; median and greater wing-coveits and 

 secondaries black with reddish-brown maTgins; bastard 

 wing, primary-coverts and quills blackish-brown with 

 rufous-hrown margins ; the primaries however with 

 ashy-brown ; upper tail coverts with buff fringes ; tail- 

 fea.tihers black isli- brown with i>ufous-brown margins ; 

 sides of head Tufous-briwn, lores and feathers below the 

 eye blackish ; cheeks and sides of neck dark brown 

 streaked with white; under surface white, streaked 

 with dark brown ; gides and fiajiks sta.ined wiith reddish- 

 brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pale sandy 

 buff; flights below dark brown, dull yellowish along 

 inner webs ; beak greenish yellow, duuiky at tiip of upper 

 mandible ; feet and irides duusky. Hab. , South- 

 eastern Africa from the Cape to Nyasa-land. 



Stark ("Birds of South Africa," Vol. I., pp. 81. 82) 

 says : — " vSir Andrew Smith remarks that it ' inhabits 

 exclusively the forests, and never condescends to visit 

 buit the largest trees, hence it is only very partially 

 scattered over the country. The only specimens -w-hicli 

 have been obtained within the limiits of the Cape Colony 

 were dit=oovered in the forests upon the eastern frontier. 

 About Port Natal, b.>wever, the bird is not as rare, 

 and specimens aire readily to be obtained there at all 

 seasons of the year. It feeds principally upon berries 

 and small fi-oiits.' I have myself only met with this 

 Weaver lii-rd on th.o coast of Nata.l and Zululand, 

 among the tall reeds that Wrdo"- many of the rivers 

 a-nd lagoons. In many such localities it is quite 

 abundant, outnumbering any other fipeaies of the family 

 This species builds among the reeds, and, its tihick and 

 clumsy-looking bill notwithst.-mding, constructs a very 

 neat and l)eautiful neat, shaped fomething like "a 

 flattened cone with the entrance at the lower edge. 

 This is attached to the stems of two reeds over the 

 water. It is woven with long pieces of coarse praps 

 and strips of reed-leaf without anv finer linins. Both 

 birds laboiur at its construction, the nvaJe fetching the 



materials and working from the outside whilst hanging 

 by his strong toes head downwards with extended 

 wing.s, female from the inside. Both male and femaile 

 keep up an incessant chattering as they pass the end 

 of the grass stem from one to the other through the 

 walls of the nest. These Weavers nest in colonies, and 

 like majiy other si>ecies of the family beoome very 

 tame during the breeding season, so t/hat one can easily 

 watch them from a distance of a few yards only. 

 Although these birds feed largely upon berries and 

 large forest seeds they also take insects, especially 

 beetles and termites, as -well as locusts. The newly- 

 hatched young are fed on soft larvae and the pulp of 

 berries.*' 



According to Shelley ("Birds of Africa," Vol. IV., 

 Part II., p. 305), "The egg is described by Mr. Kusohel 

 as perfectly oval, without gloss, of a reddish wihite 

 colour, with ashy violet and brownish red spots, and 

 measuring 1.0 by 0.64." 



This species has been exhibited in the Ix)ndcm Zoo- 

 logical Gardens. 



Blfe-beaked We.\ver {Spermospiza hoemalina). 



Above glossy blue-black; upper tail-coverts elightly 

 washed wiith dull crimson ; throat, breast , and sides 

 bright crimson; abdomen, flanks, thighs, -under tail 

 and wing-coverts and axillaries black ; beak metalldc 

 blue, the tip and edges crimson; feet brownish-black; 

 irides crimson ; eyelids dull white. Female, slate-grey ; 

 ■upper tail-coverts dull crimson ; haistard-wing, primary- 

 coverts aed flights blacki.sh-brwwn edged wiith slate- 

 grey ; tail black ; crown dull crimson becoming slate- 

 grey at back and on nape ; sides of head diill crimson ; 

 throat, breast, and sides bright crimson; abdomen 

 blackish spotted with white ; flanks slate-grey spotted 

 with white; thighs and under tail-coverts dark slate- 

 coloured ; under wiing-coverts and axillaries slate-grey, 

 spotted with white; flights below du.sky, witih ashy 

 irmer edges ; beak, feet, irides aiul eyelids as in male. 

 Hab., Senegambia to Abeokuta. 



The following notes are from Shelley's ' Birds of 

 Africa," Vol. IV., Part 2, pp. 293-4 :--Mr. Kemp . . . 

 writes: "It frequents the farms and marshy ground 

 like PyreneKte.^ eoeeinrux, is very wary and as diflBcultto 

 see as that bird, and like that species apparently breeds 

 here in August and September." Dr. Biittikofer found 

 its nest in Liberia and remarks that it does not breed 

 in colonies. The nest -was placed in the fork of a 

 bush, some four feet from the ground, in the under- 

 growt^h of the forest, and was spherical in form, about 

 five inches in diameter, with the entrance near the 

 top, and was constructed of soft grass without any 

 lining, and contained two whit? eggs, measuring 0.76 

 by 0.52." 



This Weaver has been exhibited at the London Zoo- 

 logical Gardens. 



Bright-spotted Weaver (Spermospiza guUala). 



Differs from the preceding species in the upper tail- 

 Of>verte being of the fame bright crimson as the throat ; 

 Mides of head, below the eye, bright crimson or washed 

 with crimson ; Tip])er mandible with broad orange-red 

 edges; feet black with yellow soles; irides rod. FemaJe 

 differs from that sex of .S'. hamalina in the absence 

 of red on front of orown ; the crimson of upper tail- 

 coverts and sides of head bright like that of the throat ; 

 tail-feathers slightly edged with dull crtm->--on ; beak 

 dark metallic blue, with red edges ; feet black with 

 yellow soles; irides red, eyelids white. Haib., 

 Caitnaroons to the C<ongo. 



CapUin Shelley (" Birds of Africa," Vol. IV., Part II., 



