44 Mr. A. Roberts on Biids in 



This boantiful little Finch was not uncommon, but owing 

 to its shyness and its habit of frequentino- only the dense 

 tanoled orowth in river-beds it was not olten seen and some 

 diuicultj was encountered in octtino; specimens. It was not 

 observed farther inland than Villa l*ercira and Muriela. 



Ttelia AFiiA, Gm. R. 14G4. (IF.) May. 



T. brioht red ; B. brown above, ])aler below ; L. flesh- 

 pink. Leno-. lU ; W. 01 ; Tl. 3.S : Ts. U ; ('. 11. 



The only one noted was shot amongst some rank reeds 

 and erass ffrowinsf round a lariie ant-heap in the clearii)<!; at 

 Villa Pereira. 



EsTRiLDA ixcAXA, Sund. 1{. 1508. (1 F.) Juuc. 



I. brown ; B. dark IjIuc, ti[) and tomia dark brown ; 

 L. black. Leng. HI ; W. 4l5-5 ; Tl. (incomplete) 39 ; Ts. 18 ; 

 C. 9. 



This specimen is smaller and paler than another in the 

 collection from Durban (April) labelled as a fenude, of which 

 the following measurements have l)een taken : — Leng. 114; 

 W. 51 ; Tl. 45 ; Ts. 13 ; V. 8-5. I am doubtful, however, 

 as to the sexing of this specimen from Natal, otherwise I 

 would consider that from Boror a distinct subspecies ; it is 

 liiditer red on the rump than that from Natal and cannot 

 therefore bo referred to polio<ja,'<tr<(. 



A male and a juvenile specimen were procured at the same 

 time as the fcinah; above mentioned, but they were in such 

 bad plumage (the runner lia\ ing lost all its tail-feathers and 

 the latter being only partly fledged) that 1 did not attemj)t 

 to skin them. Both adults were shot at the crossing of the 

 Liquari River at Villa Pereira, and a few minutes later 

 noticing that an old Weaver's nest looked as though it iiad 

 been relined, I i)ut my hand up to it, when thr-.e young 

 ones flew out and took refuge in the thick scrul) on the bank ; 

 and as I had so unfortunately shot both [)arents I caught 

 one of tliem and sul)sequently put it into a bottle of s[)irits, 

 which was afterwards stolen at Lourenco Marques. I saw 

 another adidt specimen for a few days later, but, as it also 



