ESTRILDA ATRICAPILLA 229 
of the very closely allied, continental, H. nonnula. The fine 
series collected by Mr. Boyd Alexander show that the difference 
between it and H. nonnula, although extremely slight, are con- 
stant. The species was discovered on the southern side of the 
island, in the Moka Valley, frequenting the long grass, and 
was named in honour of Lady Eliza Alexander. 
Estrilda atricapilla. 
Kstrelda atricapilla, J. and HE. Verr. Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1851, p. 421 
Gaboon ; Sharpe, Cat. B, M. xiii. p. 399 (1890); Shelley, B. Afr. I. 
No. 408 (1896); Reichen. Vg. Afr, iii. p. 188 (1904). 
Adult. Upper part of the head black; back of neck, mantle and inner 
half of the wing-coverts with alternate narrow bars of grey and black; lower 
back and upper tail-coverts glossy crimson-shaded scarlet; tail entirely 
black ; remainder of the wing brownish black, the inner secondaries with 
grey bars, under surface, with the axillaries and inner half of the coverts 
white, and the inner edges of the quills more ashy white; cheeks, ear- 
coverts, chin and upper throat greyish white, shading into leaden grey on the 
sides of the neck, lower throat and chest; abdomen, thighs and under tail- 
coverts dusky black; flanks glossy crimson-shaded scarlet. Iris brown; 
bill black, with the base of the lower mandible scarlet; tarsi and feet 
blackish. Total length 4 inches, culmen 0°35, wing 1°75, tail 1°75, tarsus 
0-5. Gaboon (Ansell). 
Immature. Differs in having the under parts more ashy grey, with 
obsolete narrow blackish bars, shading into brownish black on the under 
tail-coverts ; little or no red on the sides of the body. Wing 1:8. 9, 
Gaboon (Verreaux). 
Verreaux’s Black-crowned Waxbill inhabits the lowlands of 
Camaroons and Gaboon. 
In the British Museum there is one specimen from Cama- 
roons and five from Gaboon. In Camaroons, towards the 
coast, the species is recorded as abundant by Dr. Reichenow, 
and is apparently replaced in the highlands by the white- 
breasted 1. nonnula. Gaboon appears to be the metropolis of 
the present species, from whence Verreaux procured the type, 
