466 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species 



shot. They generally feed on the ground, where they find a 

 plentiful supply of fallen grass-seeds, but they are also very 

 destructive to the crops of wheat. 



[The preponderance of males in full nuptial dress may pro- 

 bably be due to the females being then occupied in incubation. 

 —J. H. G.] 



Hyphantornis MA.RIQUENSIS (A. Smith,Zool. S. Afr. pi. 103); 

 H. nigrifrons, Cab., Mus. Hein. i. 182. Capricorn Weaver-bird. 

 (No. 209, Ibis, 1863, p. 329.) (Plate X.) 



In summer plumage the male has the iris bright crimson, the 

 bill black, tarsi and feet ])ale dusky. In winter the iris is light 

 brown, the bill, tarsi, and feet pale dusky. The iris, tarsi, and 

 feet of the female, both in winter and summer, resemble those 

 of the male in his wdnter garb. 



These birds are common in the Transvaal, congregating in 

 small flocks during the winter. In summer the male, in his 

 handsome clothing, may frequently be found alone, or occasion- 

 ally in company with other Finches, such as Euplectes sundevalli. 

 They build among the high reeds. 



[The winter dress of the male bird, and the plumage of the 

 female throughout the year, are well portrayed in Sir A. Smithy's 

 plate above cited ; but the male in breeding-plumage has, I be- 

 lieve, not as yet been figured ; and I am therefore glad to be able 

 to refer my readers to the annexed representation, by Mr. Wolf, 

 of a male specimen in that dress, which was sent from the Trans- 

 vaal by Mr. Ayres. It appears to me to be identical with that 

 described by Mr. Layard (B. S. Afr. p. 180, No. 357) under the 

 name of H. nigrifrons, Cab., except that the latter seems to have 

 been taken from a slightly larger specimen. 



I may remark that the male of an alUed North-African spe- 

 cies, H. suhlarvatus, J. W. Miiller, appears to undergo a very 

 similar change of plumage in the breeding- season, and is figured in 

 both spring and wanter dress by that naturalist (Ois. d^Afr. pi. 12) . 



An accidental error seems to have occurred in a statement as 

 to H. mariquensis made by Mr. Layard (B. S. Afr. p. 182). Its 

 whole length, as given by Sir A. Smith [loc. cit.), is 5 inches 

 11 lines, which agrees with the specimens sent to me from the 

 Transvaal. — J. H. G.] 



