300 SPOROPIPES FRONTALIS 



Weaver-birds are very abundant on the banks of the Orange 

 River, in small flocks among the bushes and mimosa trees that 

 fringe the banks of the river. Although they perch freely on 

 bushes, they appear to obtain all their food, consisting of grass- 

 seeds and small insects, from the ground. They are active and 

 vivacious little birds of quarrelsome dispositions and somewhat 

 noisy when feeding, as they keep up a constant bickering 

 with one another. They are very tame and fearless, frequent- 

 ing the houses and kraals to feed among the poultry and 

 Sparrows." 



Major Clarke found the species abundant in small flocks 

 frequenting the bush near the Modder River. At the Orange 

 River, it is, according to Lieut. Whitehead, very common in 

 flocks, when not nesting, and to be seen " generally amongst 

 the heath or in the bush. Nests of this bird were found in 

 March. Tliey were untidy and conspicuous structures, placed 

 about six or seven feet above the ground." According to 

 Stark : " On the Orange River these Weavers build in March 

 and April, on the Limpopo in June and July. The eggs, four 

 or five in number, vary in shape and colour ; the ground colour 

 is pale blue green, this is thickly marked with blotches and 

 scrawls of brown and rufous. The eggs measure about 

 0-65 X 0-48." 



The species is represented in the British Museum by the 

 type from Latakoo, and another of Sir Andrew Smith's 

 specimens from Kroonstad, also from Eland's Post (Atmore), 

 Rustenburg (T. Ayres), Potchefstroom and Bamangwato 

 (T. E. Buckley), Somoque River (Oates), and Palatswe Pan 

 in Matabele (Jameson). 



Sporopipes frontalis. 



Loxia frontalis, Daud. Traite, ii. p. 445 (1800). 



Sporopipes frontalis, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. siii. p. 409 (1890) ; Shelley, B. 



Afr. I. No. 453 (1896) ; Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers. p. 128, pi. 3, fig. 35 



(1899) egg ; Eeichen. Yog. Afr. iii. p. 17 (1904). 



