HYPIIANTORNIS CUCULLATUS 423 



Vieillot's Colliired-Weaver ranges from G-aboon iuto Ben- 

 guela. 



In the British Museum the species is represented by the 

 following specimens : Gaboon (Skirchley) ; Landaua, Maliraba, 

 Ungamungo (Petit) ; Congo (Sperling) ; Kattembella (Sala) ; 

 Benguela (Monteiro). 



Besides the above localities, the species has been procured 

 by Marche and De Compicgne ia the Ogowe district, by Du 

 Chaillu at the Gamma River, by Van der Kellen at Vista, and 

 byBohndorff at Leopoldsville on the Lower Congo. In Angola 

 Major V. Mechow met with it at the Kambo and Kuanga 

 tributaries of the Congo and at the Quanza River. 



In habits they are very similar to the common West African 

 Weaver, H. ciicullatns. Falkenstein observed them during his 

 stay at Chinchonxo iu Loango, and remarked that they bred in 

 colonies sometimes in company with MelanopterijK nigerrimus, 

 and for the construction of their nests stripped off the leaves 

 of the palm trees into fibres to such an extent that they left 

 only the stems of the leaves on some of the trees. The eggs, 

 according to Dr. Reichenow, are bright bluish green freckled 

 with rufous brown, and measure 0'96 x 0'6. 



Mr. Monteiro found the species to be not uncommon near 

 the town of Benguela, and Auchieta also met with it in that 

 district at Novo - Redondo. Vieillot, who first named the 

 species, mentions as localities for it, Congo, Angola and Sene- 

 gal ; the latter is undoubtedly an error. 



The adult males apparently retain their bright plumage 

 throughout the year, but that has not yet been proved. 



Hyphantornis cucuUatus. 



Oriolus cucullatus, P. L. S. Mull. S. N. Suppl. p. 87 (1776). 

 Hyphantorois cucullatus, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 451 (1890) ; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. I. No. 562 (1896); Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers. p. 130 (1899) 



egg- 



