314 TEXTOR 



grass, a few featliers and leaves, with the entrances on the 

 under side, and are carefully protected by a surrounding of 

 thorny boughs, which encircle not only the nests themselves, 

 but also all the branches leading up to them. A single nest, 

 without the surrounding twigs, measured 9 "6 inches. The egg 

 he describes as greenish white, spotted and scrawled with 

 blackish brown. 



The species was first obtained by Speke who wrote : 

 " Shot at Tura in Unyamwesi, where it goes about in small 

 flocks." Bmin met with it in that country and in Ugogo, 

 and Fischer's specimens came from Loeru, Salanda and 

 Kagehi. 



Genus VI. TEXTOE. 



Very similar in general structure to Dincmellia, but with the bill longer 

 than deep and the culmen less curved. It differs entirely in the pattern and 

 colouring of the plumage, which in adults is almost uniform black. 



Tester, Temm. PI. Col. iii. p. 75, pi. 446 (1828) . . . . T. albirostris. 



Alecto, Less. Traite, p. 433 (1831) T. albirostris. 



Bubalornis, Smith, Eep. Exped. Centr. Afr. 1836, p. 51 . T. niger. 



Dertroides, Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 278 (1837). . . . T. albirostris. 



Alectornis, Eeichenb. Singv. p. 89 (1863) T. albirostris. 



The genus is confined to Tropical and South Africa. It comprises four 

 closely allied species, which are called Buffalo- Weavers, on account of their 

 habit of following herds of those animals. In general habits and in the 

 construction of their nests they closely resemble the Dineviellics. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. No white on under surface of wings. 



a^. Bill with the base swollen, rough and whitish ; wing more 



than 4-5 inches albirostris. 



6^. Bill smooth and reddish black ; wing less than 4-5 . . scnegalcnsis. 



b. Some white on under surface of quills ; bill red in adults. 



c^. Much less white on under surface of quills intermedins. 



d''-. More than half of under surface of quills white. . . . niger. 



