210 ESTRILDA CLARKEI 
buffy white, with a faint lemon shade on the breast and less orange red 
shade on the under tail-coverts. Wing 1:7. ¢?, 15. 9. 81, Newcastle 
(Reid). 
The Southern Zebra Waxbill ranges from Natal to the 
Equator. 
In 1881 Professor Barboza du Bocage recorded a specimen 
as having been obtained by Welwitsch at Icolo, in Angola, 
between the Bengo and Quanza Rivers, otherwise this species 
has not been observed from anywhere further west than 
Natal. 
I have separated this southern form from 0. subflava 
(Vieill.) on account of the paler yellow on the under parts, the 
breast and cheeks never being washed with orange scarlet. 
* An old male,” described by Stark, ‘‘ under surface of body, 
below the throat, of a bright scarlet; the flanks barred with 
olive and pale red; under tail-coverts deep scarlet; sides of 
face red.” Such a bird has, I venture to say, never been bred 
in a wild state in South Africa; it undoubtedly belongs to the 
more typical northern form. 
The Southern Zebra Waxbill is a resident in Natal and the 
Transvaal, but has not been recorded from Cape Colony. 
Stark writes: ‘These very beautiful little Waxbills differ 
somewhat in their habits from the common Hstrilda astrild. 
They prefer the borders of streams and marshes, where there 
is a thick growth of bushes and reeds, to the more grass lands, 
and they are much shyer and more easily alarmed. In Natal, 
where they are not uncommon from May to December, I have 
generally met with them in flocks of no great size, feeding on 
the ground on grass-seeds, but taking refuge in bushes if dis- 
turbed. When feeding they keep up a continuous chirping.” 
He further writes: ‘‘ The eggs of this species are pure white 
and measure on the average 0°52 x 0°40.” 
