PHILET^EUS LEPIDUS. 

 DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 

 Length from the bill to the point of 



the tail 4 9 



of the tail 2 



of the wings when folded 2 10 



of the biU from the gape 7 



Inches. Lines. 



Length of the tarsi 8 



the outer toe 3-!^ 



2 



the middle toe 51 



the hinder toe 3- 



1 



The female diflfers from the male in havmg the feathers of the back and 

 sides of neck and the interscapulars light brown in place of umber-brown.* In 

 young specimens the head is streaked with brown, the patch in front of the 

 thighs consists of perfectly distinct black blotches, and no appearance of 

 black exists either on the chin or at the base of the bill. 



The banks of the Orange river appear to constitute the southern limit of this bird's range ; 

 but specimens were only obtained in great abundance in the districts around Latakoo, far from 

 water. The most striking peculiarity observed in the species, is the extraordinary manner in 

 which a number of individuals associate, and build their nests under a common roof. When 

 a nestling place has been selected, and the operation of building the nests is to be com- 

 menced ab initio, the community immediately proceed conjointly to construct the general 

 covering which interests them all ; that being accomplished, each pair begins to form their own 

 nest, which, like the roof, they construct of coarse grass : these are placed side by side against 

 the under surface of the general covering, and by the time they are all completed, the lower 

 surface of the mass exhibits an appearance of an even liorizontal surface, freely perforated 

 by small circular openings. 



They never use the same nests a second time, though they continue for many years attached 

 to the same roof. With the return of the breeding season, fresh nests are formed upon the 

 lower surface of those of the previous year, which then form an addition to the general cover- 

 ino-. In this manner they proceed, year after year adding to the mass, till at last the weight 

 often becomes such as to cause the destruction of its support, upon which a new building- 

 place is selected. They appear to prefer constructing these nests upon large and lofty trees, 

 but where such do not occur, they will even condescend to foi'm them upon the leaves of the 

 arborescent aloe {Aloe arhorescens), as occasionally happens towards the Orange river. The 

 commencement of the roof is firmly interwoven with the branches of the trees to which it is 

 intended to be suspended ; and often a great part of a principal branch is actually included 

 within its substance. Each female lays from three to four eggs, which are of a bluish-white 

 colour, and freely mottled towards the large end with small brown dots. When once this 

 species has attained maturity, it never afterwards exhibits any change in respect to colours. 

 The male has no summer tints which he throws aside in winter, as is the case in Euplectes. 

 Seeds, and occasionally small insects, constitute the food. 



* By a mistake, it was stated in the description of this bird, when it was proposed as a type of a 

 sub-2enus, that the female was without the black chin. 



