166 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



small snake. In each of these separate holes are laid 

 three or four eggs, exactly resembling Sparrows' eggs, 

 but much larger. I obtained no less than forty of these 

 eggs (all much incubated), on January 29th, from two 

 low trees standing close together, at Amatoni, in lati- 

 tude 18 south ; and on the following day the birds were 

 busy in repairing one of the collective nests, which had 

 been injured during the collection of the eggs which it 

 contained. I believe these nests are annually added to ; 

 for, so far as I have been able to see, the same nest is 

 retained for several consecutive seasons. 



This species is said by Dr. Smith to be a frequent 

 attendant on the buffalo, and to feed on the parasites 

 which infest the hide of that quadruped : I have never 

 observed this in Damara Land, which may be owing to 

 the buffalo being a scarce animal in that country. 



The irides in this species are brown. 



[Sir A. Smith's account of this bird attending on the South- 

 African buffalo is confirmed by Dr. Livingstone, vide ' Mission- 

 ary Travels/ p. 545. ED.] 



200. Plocepasser mahali, Smith. White-browed Weaver bird. 



Plocepasser mahali, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 65. 



Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 



1852, p. 150. 



Layard's Cat. No. 372. 



Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 401. 



Sharpe's Cat. No. 578. 



Damara Land proper would seem to be the stronghold 

 of this species ; but I have also found it abundant at Lake 

 Ngami and in the neighbourhood of the Okavango, and it 



