390 



HYPHANTURGUS BRACHYPTERUS 



Ploceus ocularius brachypterus, Eeichen. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 47 (1904). 



Ploceus flavigula, Hartl. Eev. Zool. 1845, p. 406 Accra. 



? Ploceus melanops (Nou. Des Murs), Hartl. Abhandl. nat. Ver. Hamb. 

 ii. p. 46 (1850) Sierra Leone. 



Adult male. Similar to that of S. ocidarius, from which it differs in the 

 yellow of the head extending on to the nape and being slightly more shaded 

 with chestnut ; the bill is also rather shorter and stouter. Iris yellowish 

 brown ; bill black ; feet slaty grey. Total length 6-6 inches, culmen 0-7, 

 wing 3-0, tail 2-2, tarsus 0-9. J , 24. 2. 72, Abouri (Shelley). 



Adult female. Differs in the olive of the upper parts extending forward 

 to the forehead and in the throat beiug light yellow of a paler shade than 

 the cheeks and crop. " Iris pale stone-colour ; bill black ; legs light bluish 

 grey." Wing 2-9. S , Shonga (Forbes). 



Swainsou's Spectacled-Weaver ranges over West Africa 

 fi'om Senegambia into Gaboon. 



The species is apparently fairly abundant and evenly 

 distributed throughout its range, with perhaps the exception 

 of Gaboon. In its habits it closely resembles H. ocularius. 

 The nest, according to Dr. Reichenow, is suspended at a short 

 distance from the ground to a twig or the leaf of a young 

 palm ; is oval, with a long entrance passage hanging down of 

 some 7'5 inches long, and the body of the nest measured 4' 75 

 X 3"25. The eggs were two in number, of a pale buish green 

 or whitish ground with clear reddish brown spots, and measured 

 0'8 X 0"55. Dr. Biittikofer found a nest on November 14, in 

 Liberia, containing two eggs of a dirty white, sprinkled all 

 over, especially at the thicker end, with reddish bx'own. The 

 nest was most solidly and artistically constructed of long 

 elastic fibres and was hung at a height of some eight feet from 

 the ground. 



The type of the species was received by Swainson from 

 Senegal. Specimens have been procured by Marche and De 

 Gompiegne at M'bao, by Dr. Kendall at the Gambia, by 

 Verreaux at Casamanse, by Fea on Bulama Island, by Dr. 

 Hartert on Los Island and by Sabine at Sierra Leone. From 



