SHARPIA 335 



horn colour ; feet and claws yellowish horn colour. Total length 62 inches, 

 culmen 0-75, wing 3-8, tail 25, tarsus 0'8. 



The Red-mantled Sparrow- Weaver inhabits tlie Upper 

 Cunene district. 



The species was discovered bj Van der Kellen at the 

 Kasinga River, February 27, 1887, and is now in the Leyden 

 Museum. 1 believe the species to be known by the type 

 specimen only. 



Genus IX. SHARPIA. 



Bill slightly deeper than broad, much compressed at the sides, especially 

 of the culmen, which is somewhat angular, with the base forming an acute 

 angle on the forehead ; nasal-oritice at the end of a groove just in front of 

 the frontal feathers. Back of head and neck with a few hair-like plumes. 

 Wing with broad whitish ends to the median and greater coverts, forming 

 two bars as in Plocepasser ; some whitish edges to the inner secondaries ; 

 remainder of upper parts blackish brown, with the rump whitish yellow or 

 rufous. Primaries 1 about one-third of 2 ; 3 and 4 longest. Tarsi, feet 

 and claws moderate, pale brown. 



Type. 



Sharpia, Bocage, Joru. Lisb. 1878, p. 258 S. aiigolensis. 



The genus is represented by two species, one from Benguela and the 

 other from St. Thomas Island. It resembles the Ploceus group of genera 

 in having a few hair-like nuchal plumes, which character is sometimes 

 rather difticult to see, but is present in this and all the following genera 

 of the Ploccidce and is apparently absent from all the previous genera, with 

 the exceptions of Spcrmospiza and Amhlyospiza. 



The genus, like many of those that follow, is well marked only by the 

 pattern of the plumage. The two species I refer to Sharpia are not 

 strikingly similar, but would be quite out of place in any of the other 

 divisions. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Upper parts and sides of head blackish brown, mottled 

 down the centre of back with white ; rump and 



upper tail-coverts yellowish white aiigolensis. 



b. Crown and back uniform blackish ; forehead, a broad 



eyebrow and the rump yellowish rufous sancti-tJiomc?. 



