HYPOCHERA ULTRAMARINA 9 
of this bird were rare, only one or two being seen among large 
flocks. Mr. Pease obtained a male in full plumage at Adis 
Ababa, January 15. It had the bill pinkish white and the legs 
orange red. In Shoa Dr. Ragazzi procured a male at Farré, 
July 30, and two females at the Hawash River, August 7. The 
male was of a glossy blue-black, with the bill pale flesh colour ; 
the females had the bill red and the feet pale flesh colour. 
Mr. A. L. Butler has kindly sent me from Khartoum two 
males, both of which were breeding; one, shot April 16, is 
in the complete glossy blue black plumage ; the other, on 
November 8, is in the brown livery, with the exception of two 
glossy black feathers, freshly assumed, and it shows no other 
sign of moulting. ‘ These birds,” he writes, ‘‘ were sometimes 
very tame, but less so than Lagonosticta brunneiceps, with which 
they are frequently associated. They were abundant along the 
White Nile from Khartoum to Kawa from August to March, 
when they were in their full plumage. This leaves them only 
four months to go through two complete moults, Do they 
change after assuming the blue plumage once? I certainly saw 
only brown birds at Gedaref in May, 1901, but both of those 
I shot were hens.” 
Ihave already mentioned the fact that cage-birds have been 
known to retain the glossy black plumage for as many as five 
consecutive years, so we may presume they do the same in the 
wild state. There is another interesting point in Mr. Butler’s 
observations : “ The young birds are apparently fit to breed 
before they have assumed the black plumage for the first time.” 
According to Heuglin, they are resident and abundant in 
Nubia, frequenting the native villages in company with 
Lagonosticta brunneiceps. They are lively little birds, which 
enter the houses in search of food and water. The males moult 
into their bright breeding plumage towards the commencement 
of the rainy season. They prefer to frequent the clay huts 
