HYPHAXTURGITS OCULARIIJS 385 



specimen, which may possibly be only a variety of E. 

 melanoxanthus and not even a local subspecies. 



Genus XVI. HYPHANTURGUS. 



Similar in general characters to the last five genera, from which its 

 members may be most readily distinguished by the pale edges to the 

 feathers of the wings and tail. It is characterised by the bill being slender 

 and somewhat elongated ; sexes alike in plumage excepting in the throat 

 being black in the males only; back, closed wing and tail uniform olive 

 green. 



Type. 



Hyphanturgus, Cab. Mas. Hein. i. p. 182 (1851) . . . . H. ocularius. 



The genus is confined to Tropical and South Africa, and comprises 

 three species. 



These birds are not gregarious and do not breed in colonies. The nest 

 is oval and slight, suspended from grass-stalks or leaves, and is constructed 

 of grass or fibres, thiuly lined with hair and vegetable down. They lay two 

 or three whitish eggs spotted with red. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Bill black Adults. 



a^. Sides of head yellow, with a black band through 



the eye ; males with the throat black ; females 

 with the throat yellow. 

 a". Bill slightly longer with a sharper end ; crown 



pale yellow, shading into olive on the nape . . ocularius. 

 h". Bill slightly shorter and less sharply pointed. 



a^. Entire crown tawny yellow braclii/jjterus, J . 



b^. Entire crown olive brachypterus, J . 



b^. Entire head black ; throat black in males, and 



chestnut with the chin only black in females . . alienus. ^ ? ' 



b. Bill paler and brown ; crown olive immature. 



Hyphanturgus ocularius. 



Ploceus ocularius. Smith, Proc. S. Afr. Inst. 1828, Nov. ; id. 111. Zool 

 S. Afr. Aves, pi. 30, fig. 2 (1839) ; Eeichen. Yog. Afr. iii. p. 45 (1904). 



Hyphanturgus ocularius, Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 520 (1896). 



Sitagra ocularia, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 427 (1890) ; Nehrkorn, Kat 

 Eiers. p. 129 (1899) egg ; Shortridge, Ibis, 1904, p. 176 Pondoland. 



[March, laCi4. 25 



