404 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



other trees pull away the leaves so that the nests are exposed without 

 protecting shade. It was said that near St. Marc the birds had 

 almost denuded a little clump of banana plants in securing building 

 material from the leaves. The nests are woven of green materials 

 but soon fade under the powerful sun to yellow. Colonies seem to 

 be occupied for several years with new nests added regularly. The 

 usual number of birds in a colony seemed to be twenty to thirty, 

 possibly more in some cases as the birds come and go so constantly 

 that it is difficult to estimate their numbers accurately. Colonies 

 are noisy so that there is heard from them a steady, high-pitched 

 chatter forming a monotonous volume of sound through which 

 whistled calls or wheezing songs ring out clearly. At short intervals 

 there is louder more excited outcry as the brilliantly colored males 

 fly each to his nest and call vivaciously with outspread, slowly wav- 

 ing wings, often hanging suspended back downward, making a 

 striking display. Males frequently rest below or beside the nest in 

 the little patch of shadow cast by the structure. They were especially 

 vociferous when females came flying overhead. 



These weavers range over considerable territory in feeding and 

 were frequently observed in parties of six to fifteen flying across 

 country above the trees, the heavy body, broad wings and square 

 tail causing them to be easily recognized. Away from their nests 

 they are at times difficult to see in the dense cover that they affect, 

 attention being drawn to their presence by their high pitched, squeal- 

 ing, creaking notes uttered in chorus. 



As a species Textor cucullatus ranges across central Africa from 

 Senegal to Abyssinia being divided in this region into five geographic 

 races according to modern ideas. 44 The series from Haiti agrees 

 perfectly with Textor cucullatus cucullatus and is identified as that 

 race. The extent of black on the head and the generally yellow 

 color of the upper breast in the males separates them from the east- 

 ern races, while the strong brown coloration of the flanks is a char- 

 acteristic marking of the typical race. 



Measurements (in millimeters) of our series are as follows: 



Ten males, wing 86.2-90.3 (88.0), tail 49.5-56.8 (51.8), culmen 

 from base 19.7-21.0 (20.5), tarsus 23.0-24.7 (24.0). 



Four females, wing 77.1-80.7 (78.9), tail 44.1-46.2 (44.9), culmen 

 from base 17.8-19.3 (18.5), tarsus 21.1-23.9 (22.2). 



It is of interest to note that the present bird, like the two forms 

 of weavers found in Porto Kico, the hooded weaver-finch (Sper- 

 mestes cucullatus cucullatus) and the scarlet-cheeked weaver-finch 



« See Sclater, W. L., and Mackworth-Praed, C, Ibis, 1918, pp. 435-436, and Reichenow, 

 Mitt. Zool. Staatsinst. Zool. Mus. Hamburg, vol. 40, 1923, p. 64. 



