408 HYPHANTORNIS TAHATALI 



uuspotted, but more frequently marked, more or less thickly, 

 with small spots and dots of various shades of red and lirown ; 

 less often they are blotched and clouded heavily with large 

 masses of the same colours. 



"They are somewhat elongated in shape and average 

 0-93 X 0-58." 



The species is well represented in the British Museum from 

 Cape Colony, Deelfontein, Natal; five of Sir Andrew Smith's 

 typical specimens all in winter plumage, also by full plumaged 

 males from the Transvaal, Potchefstroom and Macamac. 



Major Clark informs me that they are abundant at Bloem- 

 fontein, and were passing into summer plumage about Septem- 

 ber 1, and had laid eggs by September 7 in some nests he 

 found suspended from a willow over the water; but as they 

 also breed in fruit trees they are disliked by the farmers, owing 

 to a habit they have of cutting off all the leaves and twigs 

 which surround their nests. 



Hyphantornis tahatali. 



Ploeeus tahatali, Smith, Eep. Exped. C. Afr. p. 50 (1836) N.of Orange B. 

 Ploceus aui'icapillus, Swains. An. in Menag. p. 346 (1838) S. Afr. ; 



Reichen. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 79 (1904). 

 Hyphantornis melanops (non Des Murs, and Hartl.), Cab. J. f. O. 1884, 



p. 240, pi. 3, fig. 2 Zambesi ; Reichen. J. f. O. 1885, p. 374. 

 Hyphantornis shelleyi, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 464 (1890) Damara, 

 Swazi, Tete ; Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1893, p. 12 Benguela ; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. I. No. 543 (1896). 

 Hyphantornis velatus (non Vieill.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 464 (1890 

 pt.) Andonga, Damara, Limpopo, Matabele ; Shelley, Ibis, 1894, p. 20 

 Zoviba ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 243 Mashona. 

 Ploceus fiuschi, Reichen. Orn. Monatsb. 1903, p. 23 Mossainedes. 

 Ploceus auricapillus iinschi, Reichen. Yog. Afr. iii. p. 80 (1904). 

 Male in full plumage. Front of forehead, sides of head and the throat 

 black, the black of the forehead not extending back beyond the base of the 

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

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

 the end of the black throat ; hinder neck and back yellowish olive ; rump 



