FRINGILLID^E. 179 



Ngami. It resembles its congeners in manners and 

 habits. 



The iris is bright wine-coloured red; the legs and 

 toes black, as is also the bill, except near the base, 

 where it is whitish blue. 



Measurements of a male and a female : 



Male. Female, 



in. lin. in. lin. 



216. MaripOSa Cyanogastra (Baud.). Southern Benghala Finch. 



Loxia cyanogastra, Daudin's Tr. d'Orn. vol. ii. p. 436. 



Estrelda benghala, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 



Layard's Oat. No. 391. 



Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App, p. 402. 



Estrelda cyanogastra, Sharpe's Cat. No. 616. 



This pretty little Finch is common at Lake Ngami 

 and in the neighbourhood of the Okavango River ; but 

 I do not think that it is found either in Damara or 

 Great Namaqua Land. 



I have heard occasionally of immense gatherings of 

 these birds ; but usually they are found in small flocks 

 seeking on the ground for their food, which consists 

 almost entirely of the seeds of grasses. 



On the 2nd of February, 1867, I found in Ondonga a 

 nest of this species in a palm bush about six feet from 

 the ground ; it was constructed of grass, and had no 

 internal lining ; the eggs were five in number. 



The iris is cherry-colour. 



