AMBLYOSI'IZA ALBIFRONS 305 



thick and clumsy-looking bill notwithstanding, constructs a 

 very neat and beautiful nest, shaped something like a flattened 

 cone with the entrance at the lower edge. This is attached to 

 the stems of two reeds over the water. It is woven with long 

 pieces of coarse grass and strips of reed-leaf without any finer 

 lining. Both birds labour at its construction, the male fetching 

 the materials and working from the outside, whilst the female 

 works from the inside. Both male and female keep up an in- 

 cessant chattering as they pass the end of the grass stem from 

 one to the other through the walls of the nest. These AYeavers 

 nest in colonies, and like many other species of the family, 

 become very tame during the breeding season, so that one can 

 easily watch them from a distance of a few yards only. Although 

 these birds feed largely upon berries and large forest seeds, 

 they also take insects, especially beetles and termites, as well 

 as locusts. The newly hatched young are fed on soft larvae 

 and the pulp of berries." The egg is described by Mr. Kuschel 

 as perfectly oval, without gloss, of a reddish white colour, 

 with ashy violet and brownish red spots, and measuring 

 ro X 0-64. 



The species is represented in the British Museum by seven- 

 teen specimens from Natal, three from the Transvaal, and 

 five from Nyasaland. The Messrs. "Woodward met with it in 

 Zululaud at the Lower Umfulosi River and at Eschowe. It is 

 apparently rare in the country between Natal and the Zambesi, 

 from whence I find it mentioned by Mr. Barratt who writes : 

 " I shot this bird at Macamac Goldfields, but have never 

 received it from anywhere else." To the north of the Zambesi 

 specimens have been collected at Zomba, Fort Lister and the 

 Milan ji Plains in July, August and September, by Mr. Whyte, 

 and at Nkata on the western coast of Lake Nyasa by Sir 

 Alfred Sharpe. 



[February, 1905. 20 



