— 305 — 



I79É'- The question is more fullv entired into bv Oberhoi.ser 

 (1-c.) 



Mr LowE shot an adnlt maie of this Blue-billed Weaver in 

 dense swanip and also an immature maie, both in Januarv at Iju 

 near Lagos. 



It bas previouslv been obtained in Southern Nigeria by H. Robin 

 at Abeokuta as recorded bv Nicholson (P. Z. S., 1878, p. 130), 

 bv P. A. Tai.bot at Oban in Julv and at Nsan in }une 1909, 

 while Neumann records it (J. f. O., 1910, p. 524) from Ogrugu, 

 Anambara Creek. S. Nigeria (Braham, coll.). 



Mr LowE noted that it was a very shv and retiring bird seldom 

 venturing out of thick cover except to feed on grass seeds. 



The genus Spermospiza, as I hâve now arranged it in the 

 British Muséum, falls into the following species and races : ail of 

 which are represented in the National collection excepting 

 S. h. togoensis. 



1. — Spermospiza haematina haemaïina. 



Loxia haematina Viplill., Ois. Chant., 1805, p. 102 : Gold Coast. 



Range. — Gold Coast. 



2. — • Spermospiza haematina leonina. 



Spermospiza haematina leonina Neumann, J. f. O., 19 10, p. 523 : 

 Bo, Sierra Leone. 



Range. — Gambia, Portuguese Guinea, Sierra Leone, Libéria. 



3. — Spermospiza haematina togoensis. 



Spermospiza haematitia togoensis Neumann, J. f. O., 1910, p. 523 : 

 Misahôhe, Togoland. 



Range. — Togoland. 



