404 HYPHANTORNIS VELATUS 



and January 18, at Hi'iliil and the Kassim River; the others, 

 a pair in full plumage, March 18, at Daira Aila, where they 

 were nesting in large trees near the wells in the low country. 

 Besides these specimens there is in the British Museum the 

 type, which was discovered by the late Sir W. C. Harris in 

 Shoa. In this latter country Dr. Ragazzi procured a male in 

 breeding plumage at Gherba, August 3 ; so the species appar- 

 ently retains the nuptial dress for the six summer months. 

 I do not find the species positively known from further north 

 or west in North-east Africa, for the specimens procured by 

 Heuglin of his H. erythrothalma were females or males in 

 similar plumage, obtained by him at G-alabat and Gedaref, and 

 although he referred them afterwards to H. intermedius, they 

 may belong to the commoner species of that country E. tseniop- 

 terus, for it is very doubtful if those two species can be dis- 

 tinguished by their form or colour when they are in the 

 winter or female plumage. 



Hyphantornis velatus. 



Ploceus velatus, Vieill. N. Diet, xxxiv. p. 132 (1819) Namaqua ; Eeichen. 



Vog. Afr. iii. p. 78 (1904 pt.). 

 Hyphantornis velatus, Bocage, J. f. 0. 1876, p. 425 Hinnbe ; Sharpe, 



Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 464 (1890 pt.) Bcnguela ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. 



No 549 (1896 pt.). 



Male in full plumacie. Entire forehead, sides of head and the throat 

 black, the black forehead extending back to the middle of the eyes ; 

 remainder of crown, sides of upper neck and the under parts pale bright 

 yellow, very slightly shaded with chestnut on the crown and next to the 

 end of the black throat ; hind neck and back dull sulphur shaded olive, with 

 the rump entirely bright sulphur yellow ; tail yellowish brown, with narrow 

 yellow edges to the feathers ; wings blackish brown, with pale yellow edges 

 partly inclining to ashy buff; inner edges of the quills and the under wing- 

 coverts buffy yellow. " Iris red ; bill black ; feet pale brown." Total length 

 6-2 inches, culmen 065, wing 30, tail 21, tarsus 09. <? , 2. 75, Humbe 

 (Anchieta). 



