ANAPLECTES 337 



brown, shading into rufous brown on the upper ^tail-eoverts ; pattern of 

 wings and tail as in the male ; a broad yellowish white eyebrow ; under 

 parts white, washed with olive brown on the crop and flanks. 



The St. Thomas Island Weaver is apparently restricted to 

 the island of that name. 



The type of the species was discovered by Weiss, and since 

 his visit there many naturalists have procured specimens, 

 showing that it is evidently abundant on tlie island ; but I find 

 very little recorded regarding its habits. Prof. Socage 

 remarked in 1891 that all the specimens he had I'eceived came 

 from the northern and eastern portion of the island, where it 

 is known to the natives as the " Tchim-tchim-tcholo." He 

 describes the nest as being carelessly constructed of fibres 

 from the palm trees, and roots, with several entrances leading 

 into one passage ; and the egg is of a lengthened oval form, 

 uniform bluish greeu and measuring 0"92 x 0'6. 



Genus X. ANAPLECTES. 



Bill red or yellow, rather broad, being as broad as deep at the nostrils ; 

 culmen smooth, somewhat flattened, and very slightly curved ; cutting edges 

 of mandibles straight ; nostrils open at the end of a groove and are exposed. 

 Wing pointed ; primaries 1 a third of the length of 2 ; 2 not longer than 6 ; 

 3 one of the longest ; 10 falls short of tip of wing by the length of the tarsus. 

 Tail square. Tarsi, feet and claws moderate. 



Type. 

 Anaplectes, Keichenb. Singv. p. 86 (1863) A. melanotis 



The genus is confined to Tropical Africa and comprises two well-marked 

 species. These are subject to variations of plumage not yet accounted for, 

 three of which have received the following names: A. erythrogenys and 

 A. blundelli, varieties of A. melanotis, and A. gurneyi, a variety of A. 

 rubriceps. 



My reason for not admitting them to be species or subspecies is because 

 they occur only within the range of the species they most closely resemble. 



[February, 1900. 22 



