XANTHOPHILUS GALBULA 475 



Adult male. Forehead, cheeks and chin chestnut, shading into bright 

 yellow on the remainder of the head, front half of neck and the underparts 

 generally ; eyelids and a few feathers in front of the eye black ; hinder half 

 of the neck, the back and tail olive yellow, slightly yellower ou the rump ; 

 feathers of the mantle with obscurely marked dusky shaft-bands ; wings 

 blackish brown, with olive shaded yellow outer edges ; inner margins of the 

 quills and the under wing-coverts bright pale yellow. " Iris orange ; bill 

 black; legs brown" (Pease). Total length 5 inches, culmen 0-6, wing 2'8, 

 tail 20, tarsus 0-85. <? , 23. 7. 68, Anseba R. (Blanford). 



Adult female. Differs in having the upper half of the head, hind neck 

 and back ashy brown, with dark centres to the feathers of the mantle ; upper 

 tail-coverts slightly washed with yellow ; wings browner than in the males, 

 the quills alone having yellowish edges. Under parts brownish, fading 

 into white towards the centre of the abdomen, and a faint shade of yellow 

 on the throat. Iris dark brown ; bill pale brown ; whitish towards the base 

 of the lower mandible ; legs, feet and claws pale fleshy horn-colour." Wing 

 2-5 inches. 2 , 6. 7. 68, Ain (Blanford). 



Ri'ippell's Golden Weavei* inhabits North-east Africa 

 between 5° and 19° N. lat. and ranges into Arabia. 



The species is apparently abundant throughout its range. 

 It has been procnred in Somaliland by Dr. Donaldson Smith, 

 Mr. Elliot, Mr. C. V. A. Peel, and by Mr. Lort Phillips, who 

 writes : " These bright little Yellow Weaver-Birds and tlieir 

 hanging pear-shaped nests are to be found at every watering- 

 place, well, or stream thronghout the country, from the 

 Berbera gardens to the top of Wagga Mountain. The nests 

 we examined in the third week of March all contained young." 



In Shoa specimens have been collected by Antinori and 

 Ragazzi at all seasons of the year, and in Southern Abyssinia 

 by Lord Lovat, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Pease. 



Dr. Blanford writes : "Abundant on the shores of Aunesley 

 Bay, iu the passes up to about 4,000 feet, and in the Anseba 

 valley. In the latter locality it breeds in August ; at the 

 commencement of the month the nests were all built, but no 

 eggs were laid. The nest is of grass, as usual shaped like a 

 pear, with an opening at the side without any long tubular 

 entrance, and is often hung on acacia trees." 



