YELLOW-BODIED WEAVER. 171 



to the structure of our present subject; distin- 

 guished, nevertheless, from all others by having the 

 spurious quill half as long as the second, which, with 

 the third, is graduated ; so that the fourth and fifth 

 quills are longest ; the bill, moreover, is consider- 

 ably compressed and its commissure in no wise 

 sinuated; lastly, the inner toe is shorter than the 

 outer one. These characters are all of a positive 

 nature, and with the above considerations, leads to 

 the belief that this is the aberrant type of the circle 

 of the Weavers. 



The yellow-bodied Weaver is as long, though not 

 so thick as our Hawfinch. A full dark brown spreads 

 over all the upper plumage, including the wings, 

 tail, sides of the head, ears, and neck ; the chin is 

 dirty white, tinged with pale yellow, and mottled 

 with brown ; from this to the under tail-covers, the 

 colour is a rich and full yellow, like that of the 

 Orioles, rather deeper on the breast, and somewhat 

 paler at the vent : the extreme edges of the quills 

 are whitish. 



The true relations of this rare bird perplexed us 

 for near twelve years. We then had a specimen 

 sent from Southern Africa, and now another has 

 come from Senegal. Future discoveries will no 

 doubt establish its union with the sub-genus Ea- 

 trelda, between which at present we know of no 

 positive link. The bill and feet are pale. 



Total length, 6^ ; bill from the gape, T 8 5 ; wings, 

 3 T % ; tarsus, $ ; hind-toe and claw, ^ ; tail, be- 

 yond the wings, 1^ ; from the base, 2^. 



