HYPHANTORNTS NIGRICEPS 421 



sparingly marked with large blotches of reddish brown. They 

 average 0*90 x 0"60." Along the Zambesi, according to Mr. 

 Boyd Alexander, it is " the commonest of the Yellow Weavers, 

 especially from Tete downwards, consorting with other 

 Weavers and Finches on waste land near the river. They 

 breed in large colonies, hanging theirnests to the fish-cane that 

 fringes the water's edge. Snch a spot presents an animated 

 appearance in the breeding season, these bright-colonred birds 

 rushing backward and forward among the deep green reeds, 

 intent upon their building operations, while the brown nests 

 of the previous season present a notable contrast to those 

 newly made, and are hardly distinguishable in colour from the 

 reeds." Above the Victoria Falls Mr. Foa informs us that it 

 is known to the natives as the " Tchete." Dr. Stuhlmann 

 found it known at Quiliraane as the " Gugumira," and Serpa 

 Pinto as the " Esse" on Ibo Island. 



These Weavers are generally distributed over Eastern 

 Africa from the Zambesi to Somaliland, but are most abundant 

 to the south of the Equator. They have been included in 

 seven of the collections from Nyasaland. Storms procured 

 the species on the western side of Lake Tanganyika, and Bohm 

 at Kakomo, Karema, the Luvule River, and along the banks of 

 the Itambe Lake, where he found these birds in flocks frequent- 

 ing the marshy ground and constantly uttering their shrill note 

 as they assembled in colonies to construct their nests in the 

 Acacia trees, about March. Fischer met with the species 

 throughout the country from Bagamoio to Barawa on the 

 Somali coast, breeding in colonies of GO to 100 in all kinds 

 of large trees, and remarked that the eggs varied greatly in 

 colour. He also saw them feeding in large flocks in company 

 with other Weavers and Sparrows. Mr. Jackson, who has 

 collected specimens on Manda Island, at Tangani, Nairobe, 

 Makarunga, Witu and Kibwesi, writes : " Very plentiful 



