414 HYPHANTORNIS SPEKEl 



Hengliii's Masked-Weaver inhabits West Africa, possibly 

 from as far north as the Gambia River to the Niger, and 

 ranges eastward into the Upper White Nile district. 



The occurrence of this species from further west than 

 Togoland rests on a specimen formerly in W. A. Forbes's 

 collection and now in the British Museum, labelled " G-ambia 

 (Whiteley)." In Togoland Lieut. Zech procured a specimen 

 at Kratclii. Forbes obtained one at Lokoja on the Niger, and 

 Bohndorff one at Sassa in the Niam-Niam country. It is 

 apparently a rare bird in the aforementioned countries, nor does 

 it appear to be common anywhere. Bmin procured a specimen 

 at Kudurma, and Heuglin discovered the type near the Gazelle 

 River. According to the latter naturalist it lives in pairs 

 throughout the year, and suspends its oval nest, which is 

 constructed of fresh grass, from the boughs of trees in the 

 more open parts of the forest, and lays three or four eggs of 

 a dusky green colour, which measure 0"8-i x 0'58. Bmin also 

 met with them in pairs and found their solitary nest suspended 

 from grass-stalks in the open country interspersed with 

 scattered trees. 



Hyphantornis spekei. (Pi- 40, fig. 2.) 



Hyphantornis spekei, Heugl. in Peterm. Mitth. 1861, p. 24 Somali; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 469 ; Shelle)', B. Afr. I. No. 546 (1896) ; 

 Peel, Somalilaud, p. 307 (1900) ; Grant and Eeid, Ibis, 1901, p. 622 

 S. Abi/ssinia. 

 Ploceus spekei, Reichen. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 65 (1904). 

 Hypliantorois somalensis, Heugl. J. f. 0. 1867, p. 379 Somali. 

 "Hyphantornis meloxit, Antin." Salvad. Ann. Mus. Geuov. 1884, p. 188 



Galla. 

 Male in breeding plumage. Forehead and crown golden yellow, shading 

 into olive yellow on the back of the head and neck ; back olive yellow, with 

 angular dusky black centres to the feathers ; lesser wing-coverts like the 

 mantle ; median coverts with broad yellow terminal edges ; greater coverts 

 and quills with yellowish margins, often inclining to buff on the greater 

 coverts and inner secondaries ; under wing-coverts and inner margins of 



