collected in Uganda and British East Africa. 413 



two specimens which agree in every way with Neumann's 

 type of A. cethiopica^ and these are males which have not 

 assumed tlie fully adult plumage, but retain some of the 

 characters of the intermediate stage. I suspect that Neu- 

 mann's bird is simply an immature bird. 



A. melanotus would appear to range from the White 

 Nile, south to Victoria Nyanza, into East Africa as far 

 south as Fort Teruan. Further south its place is taken by 

 A. unicolor. 



Wings 87-99 mm. in males, 83-93 mm. in females. 



These birds inhabit the swamps and the undergrowth of 

 forests during the non-breeding season. They build the 

 most compact and beautiful nest of all Weaver-birds. The 

 entire nest is composed of fine strands of reed, and is woven 

 to two or more upright reed or papyrus stems. The eggs 

 are a beautiful pink or salmon-colour with red-brown spots. 



Young birds are very similar to the females in plumage. 



Localities. Kyetema, Mabira, Mawakota, Buziranjuvo, 

 and Karajumba, in Uganda; Kisumu and Fort Ternan, in 

 British East Africa. 



Amblyospiza unicolor. 



c? & ?. 28.xii. U. 



Fairly common in the swamps. Nesting in March, 

 June, and December. The nest and eggs of this species are 

 the same as those of the preceding. 



Localities. Nairobi and Kyambu, in British East Africa. 



Spermospiza ruficapilla. 



S 1-5. 9.ix.l3; 3.ii.l3; 10.x. 13; 14.x. 13; 8.iii.l4. 



Imm. 8. iii. 14. 

 ? 1-5. 19.x. 13; 10. iii. 13; 14.x. 13; 3.ii.l2; 3.ii.l2V 



Imm. 14.x. 13. 



A good series of this species was obtained. Birds in 

 breeding condition were shot in October and February — they 

 are in fine condition. Young in first plumage were shot in 

 March and October. 



This species builds a large untidy nest of grass, placed in 



