PLOCEIN^ 280 



Subfamily III. PLOCEIN^E. 



These, the true Weaver-birds, are distinguishable from the Whydahs 

 {Vidiuna) and the Waxbills {EstrildincB) by the larger size of the first or 

 bastard primary, which is never so sharply pointed, and, with the exception 

 of Brachycope anomala, extends beyond the end of the primary-coverts. 

 The tail, always shorter than the wing, is square or nearly so, the outer 

 feathers never falling short of the end of the tail by so much as the length 

 of the tarsus. More than half of the species have a few hair-like 

 plumes on the nape and hind neck, and about the same proportion breed 

 in colonies. 



Generally, the uest is of a retort form, with a more or less elongated 

 entrance passage hanging down from the side ; this passage varying in 

 length from a few inches to eight or even ten feet, and the whole structure 

 of the nest is artistically woven out of grass or vegetable fibres, and is 

 usually firmly suspended between two reeds in marshy places, or from the 

 end twigs of boughs. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



a. Breast with large white twin spots or bars in the females. 

 a^. Bill metallic blue with the tip orange; sides of chest 



glossy crimson ; breast uniform black in the males Spcrmospiza. 2. 9 2. 

 b^. Bill entirely blackish blue ; breast cinnamon and 



white, alike in both sexes Clijtospiza. i. » / 



b. No white spots on the breast ; bill never metallic blue. 

 c^. Nostrils hidden ; tail square, with the centre pair of 



feathers slightly the shortest Sporopipcs. fe O; f 



d'-. Nostrils exposed ; tail more rounded. 



a-. Bill very deep ; culmen extending back in a 

 narrow ridge beyond the middle of the eyes ; 

 males with a basal portion of the primaries 



white, forming a speculum Ambbjospiza. ?c > 



b". Base of upper mandible ends in an angle in front 



of the eyes. 



a^. Culmen flattened at the base and sometimes 



swollen. 



fl*. Bill deeper; culmen more curved; a white 



speculum on the primaries; head, neck and 



breast mostly white ; front of wings, upper 



and under tail- coverts red Dinemellia. '' / 



6*. Bill slighter ; culmen less curved ; no red on 

 the plumage. 



[F.'liiMaiy 1905. 19 



