Correspondence, Notes, etc.



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upper mandible slightly curved at the end. Head and neck grey, shoulders

wings and rump reddish brown, breast light grey fading into white on

the belly and under parts. The tail is dark brown, so are the flights,

each feather being almost black in the centre and of a lighter brown at

the edge. The under part of the wings is also brown but of a lighter

shade. The cheeks are of a darker grey than the rest of the head,

and give the impression that if the bird were in full colour it mi ght

have a black mask (but I do not know whether it is in full colour or

not). Eyes dark and bright, legs stout and strong and of a flesh colour.

It is a lively' restless bird, and often hangs down from its perch. There

is a slight white band across the wings which does not always show.

At the International Bird Show now being held here (Florence) I have

called it Nigrita arnaudi, and it has been accepted under that name ;

but never having seen the bird lam not at all sure of being right, nor am I

sure of its being a Weaver. I have not yet heard its voice. It eats seed,

but I should think it probable that it likes fruit, or at least berries, for it

rushed at some maize—which however it found too hard to peck. It is

about the size of a large Greenfinch. Giur.iA Tommasi.


The following reply was sent to the Contessa Baldelli :


I must confess that your description of the pair of Weavers has

puzzled me completely.


If the birds are the size of a large Greenfinch, and if the breast is

light grey fading behind into white, I do not see how they can be Philceterus

(Nigrita) arnaudi; because the latter is i| inches shorter than an ordinary

Greenfinch, and has drab-brown underparts.


I11 most respects your description seems more nearly to correspond

with Ploceipasser rujoscapulatus, wdiich is only 2-ioths larger than an

ordinary Greenfinch; and though that bird is said to have the “ bill and

feet horn-colour,” it is quite likely that the colouring of these parts was

taken from a dead specimen, and had long before faded.


P. arnaudi, on the upper surface, is mostly light “ drab-brown ” ;

P. rufoscapu talus “ rufous-chocolate,” which seems to answer better to the

reddish brown of your description.


The only serious discrepancy seems to be in the colouring of the tail,

which you describe as dark brown with blackish shaft-streaks, whereas in

P. rujoscapulatus it is described as uniform light brown ; but, as the species

seems to have been described from a unique male, this might be due to

discoloration.


If your bird is a Weaver, I see nothing else for it; but it seems

hardly possible that so rare a species should turn up as a cage-bird. The

trick of hanging downward from the perch is peculiar; it is a common

amusement among Hangnests and some of the Troupials, but I have not



