HYPHANTORNIS CUCULLATUS 427 



in February I saw them in numbers frequenting a large tree, 

 full of their nests, in the centre of the market-place of Cape 

 Town. Gordon found them breeding at Cape Coast in Jnne. 

 Mr. Boyd Alexander writes : " In the hinterland the bird 

 again becomes common, the big boabab-trees around the native 

 villages forming the centres of its nesting colonies. In May 

 the colonies are full of activity — new nests are constructed 

 close to those of the previous season, and the loud running 

 chatter of the males may be heard as they court their mates 

 at the entrance of their nests of basketwork, from which they 

 hang, fanning their wings the whole time to and fro like birds 

 with their feet caught in meshwort. 



" In June the young males are similar in plumage to the 

 adult female, but have the upper parts uniformly washed with 

 olive yellow and the under parts with bright yellow ; upper 

 mandible brownish horn-colour. By the end of the year the 

 feathers from the breast downwards become white, turning 

 to earthy brown on the sides of the chest and flanks. The 

 olive yellow wash also disappears from the brown feathers 

 of the upper parts, with the exception of the crown, which 

 still remains olive yellow. In the beginning of February a 

 direct moult is undergone. The scapulars and rump are the 

 first to assume the adult plumage, and the iris becomes red. 

 By the end of March the bill has become entirely black; iris 

 bright orange ; feathers of the crown, sides of face, chin, and 

 throat black ; collar deep chestnut ; mantle and back parti- 

 coloured ; remainder of the under parts splashed with bright 

 orange-yellow ; legs and feet light brown. About the middle 

 of May the complete adult plumage has been assumed. 



•' I do not think that the adult male assumes a winter 

 dress, since I have observed individuals throughout the year 

 in the same plumage as that of the breeding season." 



Drs. Reichenow and Lillider fomid both young birds and 



