168 SPERMESTES CUCULLATUS 
Zool. 1901, p. 341 Niger; Reichen. J. f. O. 1902, p. 87 Togo; 
Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1904, p. 82 St. Thomas Isl. ; Reichen. Vog. 
Afr. iii. p. 149 (1904). 
Loxia prasipteron, Less, Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 104 Senegambia. 
Adult. Forehead and crown glossy bronzy green, passing into deep 
brown, with a coppery bronze gloss on the sides of the head, chin and entire 
throat; back and sides of neck, back and wings, earthy brown; a large 
patch of glossy bronzy green covering the lesser wing-coverts and a 
portion of the scapulars ; rump and upper tail-coverts barred with buff and 
blackish brown; tail uniform black; quills dark brown, with narrow buff 
outer edges, and their under surface, with the inner edges, very pale sandy 
buff, of the same shade as the under wing-coverts; sides of crop, centre of 
breast and the under tail-coverts white; flanks dark brown, with some 
broad, crescent-shaped white bars on the fore and hind parts, and with broad 
glossy bronzy green edges to the feathers next to the centre of the white 
breast, here forming a characteristic metallic patch ; under tail-coverts with 
a few rather broad blackish bars; thighs dark brown, barred with white. 
Iris dark brown; bill leaden grey; tarsi and feet darker grey. Total length 
3:7 inches, culmen 0:4, wing 1°9, tail 1°4, tarsus 0°55. g, 26.8.81. Rimo 
(Emin). 
Immature. Entire upper parts uniform brown, with the tail blackish ; 
sides of head, chin and throat dusky ash; crop and sides of body tawny buff, 
paler on the middle of the breast and under tail-coverts. Lokoja (Forbes). 
Swainson’s Bronze Mannikin ranges over West Africa from 
Senegambia into Angola, and across Hquatorial Africa into 
the Kavirondo district to the east of Victoria Nyanza. 
The type of the species and the type of Lovia prasipteron 
both came from Senegambia. These Mannikins are abundant 
and apparently very evenly distributed throughout their wide 
range, which includes the islands of the west coast. 
Ussher writes: “ Exceedingly common on the west coast, 
where large flocks of them, in company with other Finches, 
rise, when disturbed, from the long grass, on the seeds of 
which they are very fond of feeding. ‘They are captured in 
some quantities by the natives on various parts of the coast, 
especially at the Gambia and in the French settlements of 
Senegal, when they are exported, with many other varieties 
