80 Mr. L. Beresford Mouritz — Sotes on 



garb takes place gradually, but first becomes evident in the 

 veldt early in November, and they are generally to be seen 

 throughout that month in various transitory stages, whilst 

 towards December an odd one here and there is seen in full 

 dress. In the autumn, about the first week of May, the 

 return to the winter })lumage takes place, but this time, 

 I think, it is more a matter o£ abrasion and reabsorption 

 than of a moult. The adult female resembles that of the 

 southern Kupledes capens'is approximans very closely, but 

 has less o£ a yellowish tinge throughout. In old females a 

 few black hair-like filaments are often found projecting 

 considerably from the nape-h'eathers, but I have never found 

 these present in younger birds. Like most polygamous 

 species, I fancy, the hens breed very early, and I have 

 shot one off' the nest still showing a yellow gape — this is 

 whitish in adults. The soft parts of the male are : irides 

 dusky ; maxilla l)lack, sometimes with a white line running 

 up on each side from the commissure to the nostrils; 

 mandible white ; legs and feet reddish. Of the female : 

 irides dusky ; maxilla brownish-pink ; mandible paler 

 brownish-pink ; legs and feet pale brownish-pink. Measure- 

 ments of specimens collected : — 



Sex. Locality. Date. Lenoth. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Culmen. 



c?. Sipolilo. 18/2/10. 



J. Bulawayo. 25/1/11. 



cJ . Matopos. 20/;V12. 



c?. Matopos. 21/3/12. 



J. Matopos. 27/3/12. 



$ . Sipolilo. 17/2/10, 



$. Sipolilo. 17/2/10. 



Imm. breeding. 



5. Bulawayo. 29/1/11. 



$ . Matopos, 20/3/12. 



In spring, when courting, this Bishop Bird is very notice- 

 able in its conspicuous bhick-and-yellow [dumage, and at 

 this time of the year spends a lot of its time making amorous 

 and demonstrative flights, with his golden erectile plumes 

 standing out from his body at right angles, before the 



