486 PLOCEUS 



the thick bush and reecl-beds near water, and were breeding 

 both in September and March. The eggs, almost invariably 

 only two in number, vary greatly in colouring, some being 

 greenish blue, others brownish or whitish, and nearly always 

 with reddish brown marks. The specimens examined by 

 Mr. Nehrkorn were uniform bluish green or spotted with 

 light and dark grey, and measured I'O x 0-64. Hildebrandt 

 found it breeding in May at Kitiu, in Ukamba. 



Mr. Oscar Neumann procured a pair at Kwa Mumia, in 

 Kavirondo ; Dr. Ansorge met with it in Torn, and Mr. C. 

 Camburn procured the type of HyphantoDiis cainhnrni at Mount 

 Kenia in the Nairobi Forest at 5,500 feet, and remarks : 

 " Common; observed in small flocks; known to Maisai natives 

 as ' Gincj-yangild.'' " Emin found the species in the Mombuttu 

 country, which is the most northern range known for these 

 Weaver-Birds, and also met with it along the Victoria Nyanza 

 at Bukoba and Bussisi. 



I may mention that adults, male and female, collected by 

 Lord Delamere at Munisu, on the north-east of Mount Kenya, 

 and at Nairobe, agree perfectly with the Angola birds. 



Genus XXIV. PLOCEUS. 



Bill deeper than broad, shorter than the head, almost flat at the sides, 

 with the cutting edges slightly festooned ; nostrils exposed just in front of 

 the frontal feathers ; culmen rounded, slightly curved, and forming a basal 

 angle on the forehead. Wings rounded ; primaries 1 more than a third 

 of 3, which is one of the longest, 2 and 8 about equal. Tarsi and feet 

 moderately strong ; claws strong, curved and sharp ; hind toe with claw 

 about equal to the middle toe with claw. No black on sides of head ; 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts white-brown. 



Type. 



Ploceus, Cuv. Eegne An. i. p. 3a3 (1817) P. baija. 



The genus inhabits Southern Asia eastward from India to Java and 

 Sumatra, also Ceylon and Madagascar and comprises several Asiatic and one 

 Madagascar species. 



