170 SPERMESTES SCUTATUS 
stant chirping and chattering, attracting the attention of the 
Wood-Kingfishers (Halcyon), a pair of which birds would sweep 
them up in their bills one after another; but fortunately these 
little Finches are wonderfully prolific. On a plantation I 
occupied, one pair produced no less than seven broods during 
the year, with an average number of six young ones. They 
are known to the natives as the “ Siwie-singa.” On St. 
Thomas Island, where they are also common, they are known 
as the ‘‘ Friernha,” according to Mr. F. Newton. 
In Central Africa the species has been obtained in the 
Upper White Nile district and at Bukoba on the Victoria 
Nyanza, by Emin; in Unyoro and Uganda by Dr. Ansorge, and 
in its more eastern range by Mr. Neumann in Kavirondo. Mr. 
Jackson, who has procured specimens at Kakamega and Nandi, 
writes: ‘‘Now breeding, July 14. Selects old nests of 
Hyphantorms reichenowi, which it lines with fine grass-seed 
heads. Kggs pure white. Up to date five has been the largest 
number I have found in any nest. Yesterday I found two 
eggs in a nest of H. reichenowt. Both birds were in the nest 
and only flew out on my reaching up to the latter, which was 
in a bush about seven feet from the ground. The species does 
not appear to build a nest for itself.” 
Nandi, on the Equator, a little to the east of 35° EH. long., is 
probably about the most eastern range for the species; but I 
feel less confident in 5° N. lat: being the limit of its range down 
the Nile. 
Spermestes scutatus. 
Spermestes scutatus, Heugl. J. f. O. 1863, p. 18 Dembea; Sharpe, Cat. 
B. M. xiii. p. 265 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 382 (1896) ; Grant, 
Ibis, 1904, p. 258 Darra Atla; Reichen. Vog. Afr. ui. p. 150 (1904). 
Adult male. Very similar to S. cucullatws, but may be readily distin- 
guished by the entire absence of any metallic bronzy green on the sides 
di 
