SPERMESTES POENSIS 165 
Adult. Very similar to S. bicolor, from which it differs in the basal half 
of the quills showing numerous white bars, part of which are formed on the 
primaries by white spots, confined to the outer webs of the feathers ; rump 
similarly barred with white, upper tail-coverts rather less barred; lower halt 
of back and sides of breast mottled, with broad subterminal white edges to 
the feathers. Total length 4:2 inches, culmen 0-4, wing, in male, 2:1, in 
female 1:95, tail 1:6, tarsus 0°5. of, 24. 5. 01, Camaroons (C. L. Bates) ; 
?, 10. 82, Landana (Lucan). 
The amount of white on the wings, rump and upper tail-coverts is 
variable. In Fernando Po birds, some, not including any of the four 
typical specimens, have no white on the upper tail-coverts. From Gaboon 
an immature bird, in nearly full plumage, has the white on the quills con- 
fined to the two inner primaries, the rump having the full complement of 
white bars. In another specimen the white is marked on the wing to 
the same extent as in the types, but there is less white onthe rump. In 
two other specimens, also from Gaboon, there is rather less white on both 
the wings and rump. 
The Southern Black-and-white Mannikin ranges from Fer- 
nando Po to the Victoria Nyanza and into Angola. 
On Fernando Po the types of the species, four in number, 
were collected by Fraser, who writes: ‘‘ Very common near 
Clarence, in flocks of about fifty; their note is ‘ tweet-tweet.’” 
Mr. Boyd Alexander obtained specimens on that island at 
Ribola and Sipolo, where they were “found in small flocks 
frequenting waste places near villages.’”’ In Camaroons the 
species has been procured at Buea by Dr. Preuss, at Jaunde 
by Dr. Zenker; also at Efulen and the Ja River by Mr. 
Bates, who records its native name, at the former place, 
as ‘“‘Hjile.” In Gaboon the species must be abundant, for 
Du Chaillu collected specimens at Cape Lopez and along the 
Moonda and Camma Rivers, and Marche procured it in the 
Ogowé district at Doumé. 
In the British Museum there is one of Lucan’s specimens 
from Landana, three, collected by Jameson, near the Aru- 
wimi tributary of the Congo, and one from Bembe, in Angola, 
where Mr. Monteiro found the species in flocks frequenting 
the high grass. 
