ESTRILDA PERREINI -- 219 
specimens at Bathurst; Dr. Rendall had many of these birds 
in cages during his residence there; Payés procured it at 
Casamanse, and Beaudouin at Bissao. I find no reliable 
evidence of its having been found anywhere further along 
the coast, for its occurrence in Gaboon, on the authority of 
Gujon’s collection having contained a specimen, need not be 
considered. It has, however, been met with in the hinter- 
land of the Gold Coast, at Gambaga, by Capt. Giffard. 
With regard to their habits, I may extract the following 
notes from the observations made by Dr. Russ on these birds 
in confinement: “ Incessantly restless and brisk, graceful and 
ornamental, throughout the whole day in perpetual motion. 
Their soft, sibilant call-note and louder flute-like cries sound 
pleasing and melodious.” He also remarks that they are liable 
to die from the least chill, and adds: “ Duration of the entire 
brood up to the flight of the young, barely four weeks.” 
Estrilda perreini. 
Fringilla perreini, Vieill. N. Dict. Hist. Nat. xii. p. 179 (1817) Congo. 
Estrilda perreini, Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 415 (1896); Reichen. Vog. Afr. 
iii, p. 193 (1904). 
Lagonosticta perreini, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 285 (1890) Landana. 
Estrelda melanogastra, Swains. B. W. Afr. i. p. 194 (1837). 
Subspecies a. 
Estrilda thomensis, Sousa, Jorn. Lisb. 1888, p. 155 St. Thomas Isl. ; 
Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 416 (1896); Reichen. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 193 
(1904). 
Lagonosticta thomensis, Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1904, p. 81 Si. Thomas Isl. 
Subspecies b. 
Habropyga poliogastra, Reichen. J. f. O. 1886, p. 121 Inhambani. 
Estrilda poliogastra, Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 418 (1896); id. Ibis, 1891, 
pp. 165, 169 Karunguist. 
