TEXTOR ALBIROSTRIS 315 



Textor albirostris. 



Coccothraustes albirostris, Vieill. N. Diet. xiii. p. 535 (1817). 



Textor albirostris, Bartlett, Mon. Weaver-birds, pt. ii. pi. 4 (1888) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 508 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 462 (1896) ; 

 Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers. p. 132 (1899) egg ; Grant, Ibis, 1900, p. 134 

 S. Abyssinia; Eeichen. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 3 (1904). 



Textor alecto, Temm. PI. Col. iii. p. 75, pi. 446 (1826). 



Adult male. Entire plumage glossy black, of a uniform more brownish 

 shade on the under surface of the quills and tail-feathers ; the outer webs 

 of the middle primaries partly edged with white ; the white bases of the 

 feathers often show through the black on the lower back and flanks. "Iris 

 brown ; bill black, the basal portion in adults covered with a fleshy cere, 

 pale yellow in colour." Total length 8-6 inches, culmen 1-0, wing 4-8, tail 

 4-2, tarsus 1-2. <? , 2. 3. 68. Waliko (Jesse). 



Adult female. Exactly like the male. Wing 4-8. 2,21.7.68. Waliko 

 (Blanford). 



Immature. Differ in having the plumage brown, with the inner margins 

 of the quills slightly paler. Anseba (Esler). The bill is whitish or horny 

 brown (Eeichenow). 



The White-billed Buffalo- Weaver ranges over North-east 

 Africa from IG' N. lat. to the Equator. 



The most southern range positively known to me for the 

 species is Lake Baringo, where Mr. Jackson found it breeding 

 at Njemps in September, and writes : " Iris brown; bill black, 

 with greenish yellow base ; feet pale slate colour. They are 

 the first I have seen of this species ; they were bi'eeding. The 

 nest was a large mass of black thorns, three or fom' nests 

 being clustered together ; all with three eggs." Both speci- 

 mens show no trace of white on the under surface of the quills, 

 and in one the base of the upper mandible is much swollen, so 

 there can be no doubt as to the species to which they belong. 

 On the Upper White Nile Emin has collected specimens at 

 Lado, Harif and Muggi. 



The Nile district and Abyssinia I look upon as the true 

 home of the species ; but here, according to Brehm, it is not 



