40 Mr. A. Roberts on Birds In 



■was constructed tlironoliout of compactly woven strips of 

 grass ^Yitbo^t a vestige of lining, and Hxed to the ends of a 

 long trailing thorny creeper overhanging a pool of water. 

 The eggs are of a thin green ground-colour, becoming jialer 

 at the acute end, spotted with slate-coloured markings, and 

 measure 22-22-8 x 14-3-U-8. 



Two oo'fTs taken from another nost on the 23rd October 

 differ slightly from the others in being green, spotted with 

 })Urplish and jjale brownish slate, and measuring 20*8-21 X 

 14:*9. I did not see the bird in this second case, and cannot 

 therefore be sure of the identity. 



Ploceus niguiceps, Lay. II. 13G1. (2 F.) Resident. 



T. orange ; B. black, base lower mand. horn ; L. pale 

 flesh-colour, tinged with brown. Leng. 157-159 ; W. 78- 

 7!) ; Tl. 43-45 ; Ts. 20-21 ; C. 19-20. 



One of these was shot at Villa Pereira on 25th May and 

 seems to be immature, the beak being lighter-coloured; and 

 the other was shot together with a male at a colony of nests 

 at Buruma on 20th October, and has only partly assumed 

 the summer dress, many white feathers mixing with the pale 

 yellow ones on the breast and fla)d\s. T]ie male is one of 

 those which were subsecpiently missed from the collection, 

 but I remember that it had also only jiartly taken on the 

 black featliers of th(^ head and throat, although it was 

 assisting in the nest-building ; the following particulars 

 were recorded of it : — No. 319. Buruma, 20. x, 08, M. 

 I. bright orange ; J>. entirely black ; L. dark flesh-colour. 

 Leng. 1(J7 ; W. 85; (I. 21. These measurements agree 

 witli those of two adults and one young male from Zind)iti, 

 Beira. 



Large colonies of nests were found on all the streams, 

 lianging to the ends of branches, and a <|uantify of eggs 

 were taken between 20th October and Novendier. Two 

 distinct tvpes of <'ggs wei"e always found in the j^aiiic col()iU( s, 

 they being either verditei'-blue lightly and sjiaringly spotted, 

 or pale green fhicklv covered with minute purpli.sh-slate and 

 lu-own-coldured speckles^ ihc eggs in the same ehitelu's, 



