PHILETAIRUS ARNAUDI 133 
and inner margins of quills pale drab; tail with a broad black band across 
the middle, covering about half of the tail; sides of head and the under parts 
uniform pale drab, slightly darker on the ear-coverts, and occasionally a few 
black feathers in front of the eyes. ‘Iris dark crimson; bill black ; tarsi 
and feet pale brown.’’ Total length 4:7 inches, culmen 0:45, wing 2:6, 
tail 1-4, tarsus 0°65. 3, 26. 3. 79, Lado (Emin.); ¢, 9. 11. 99, Athi River 
(Delamere). 
Arnaud’s Social-Waxbill inhabits Central Equatorial Africa 
from the Gazelle River (9° N. lat.) to the Motiom Mountains in 
Masailand (2° S. lat.). 
The type, which is in the Paris Museum, is labelled “ Nil 
Blane.” It probably came from the Gazelle River district, for 
the species is not positively known from further north than 
9° N. lat. It is abundant between that river and Victoria 
Nyanza, and, according to Emin, is generally to be met with 
wherever the sandy soil admits of bushes and trees. It is 
noisy, active and confiding, and is to be seen flitting in parties 
from bush to bush, or dusting itself in the warm sand. They 
feed themselves upon seeds, buds and insects, supplying their 
young mostly with the latter. They apparently breed more 
than once in the year, for he found their nests in December, also 
in the middle of the dry season, as well as in August, which is 
one of the wettest months in that region. Some dozen nests 
are often firmly attached to a single bough; these are strongly 
constructed of coarse grass with a short sleeve-like entrance 
passage hanging down; inside, the nest is rounded and lined 
with seed-down and soft fibres. Heuglin remarked that 
beneath the entrance passage is constructed a separate shelter 
for the male to roost in. The eggs, according to Emin, are 
generally four in number, white, with brick red dots, most 
numerous towards the thick end. They are described by 
Fischer as greenish white, with yellowish and violet brown 
spots, and a few streaks inclining to form a zone at the obtuse 
end. They measure 0°8 x 0°55. Emin further remarked that 
