1918.] the Birds offhe Anylo-Egijptian Sudan. 435 



I Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus. 



'^ Oriolus citcullatus P. L. S. Miiller, Syst. Nat. Suppl. 1776, 

 p. 87 : Seuegal 



All the northern forms of the Spotted-backed Weavers 

 are distinguished by ha\ing a yellow back with black 

 scapulars forming a V-sliaped mark and a few other black 

 feathers. We can recognize four races, of which the 

 West-African one, which keeps the typical name, is dis- 

 tinguished by its very dark brown nape-patch and by the 

 black of the head extending well beyond the level of 

 the ear- coverts. 



Distribution. Senegal to Cameroon. 



Ploceus cucullatus bohndorffi. 



Ploceus hohndorffi Reichenow, J. f. O. 1887, pp. 214, 307: 

 Stanley Falls, Belgian Congo. 



' This race differs from C. c. cucullatus in the paler brown 

 of the nape-patch, which extends forward as a narrow band 

 almost to tlie eye. 



Distribution. Belgian Congo. 



Ploceus cucullatus feminina. 



Hyphantornis feminina O. -Grant, supra. 



This race is distinguished from P. c. bohndorffi by having 

 a somewhat paler brown nape-patch, which is not sharply 

 defined posteriorly but fades into the colour of the back. 

 The black of the head is more restricted. 



This form was originally founded by Grant on the female 

 of a bird from Ruweuzori, which he believed to be dis- 

 tinguished by its yellow underparts. This, however, we 

 consider to be only a seasonal phase, as similar yellow 

 females occur in all the forms of P . cucullatus. 



Distribution. Upper White Nile, including the Bahr 

 el Ghazal and Uganda. There is also an example in the 

 Alexander collection from Bima on the Welle river, and 

 another from the Man plateau in British East Africa. 



Ploceus cucullatus abyssintcus. 



Loxia abyssinica Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. 1788, p. 860 : 

 Abyssinia. 



