PETRONIA FLAA'IGIJLA. 267 



the brancbes of the euphorbia trees. The bird makes a small 

 opening in the bark, and on a deposit of a few feathers and 

 down in the hollow of the branch, lays from three to four dull 

 brown unspotted eggs. It breeds in companies, and the eggs 

 are difficult to obtain, as the branches of the euphorbias are 

 high up above the ground, and though heavy are brittle and 

 rotten." He further remarks that the eggs are very unlike 

 those of Passer arcuatus. 



In the British Museum there is a specimen from Tete on 

 the Zambesi, and Captain Boyd Alexander obtained a pair in 

 the wooded country near the Kafue river. To the north of 

 the Zambesi specimens have been collected at Zomba, Kakoma, 

 Igonda, Usure (3° 30' S. lat.), and Ndi in the Teita country, 

 which is the furthest north that I can trace the species. 



With regard to the correct name for this species : when 

 Bonaparte described it under the title of Petronia •petronella 

 he referred to it Xanthodina flavigtda, Sundev., thus proving 

 that the latter name has priority. 



