PLOCEID.E HYPHANTORNIS 55 



Genus I. HYPHANTORNIS. 



Type. 

 Hyphantornis, Gray, Gen. B. ii, p. 351 (1849) H. cucullatus. 



Bill as long as, or longer, than the head, broad at the base, 

 laterally compressed to the tip, higher than broad at the nostrils ; 

 the culmen broad, smooth and rounded, prolonged backwards to a 

 point among the frontal feathers ; the lateral margins angulated at 

 the base, straight towards the tip. Nostrils oval, basal and ex- 

 posed. Wings reaching a little beyond the base of the tail ; the 

 first quill short, the second equal to the sixth, the third, fourth and 

 fifth nearly equal and longest. Tail short and rounded, the outer 

 feather shortest. Tarsus as long as the middle toe. Toes strong, 

 the outer and inner equal. Claws strong and curved. Plumage, 

 prevailing colour yellow, or yellow and black. The males brighter 

 in summer after a partial spring moult. 



Hyphantornis spilonotus. 



More than thirty species of African Weaver birds are included 

 in this genus, seven occurring to the south of the Zambesi. They 

 are of social habits, breed in large colonies and build more or less 

 kidney- or retort-shaped nests which are either suspended from the 

 twigs of trees or attached to the stems of reeds. The two or three 

 eggs are spotted or plain, and vary greatly in colour even in the 

 same nest. All the species feed on seeds and insects. 



Key to the Species. 



a. With the throat black. 



a\ Entire head and face black H. nigriceps, p. 56. 



6 1 . Forehead only black, crown yellow. 



a 2 . A line of chestnut between the black fore- 

 head and yellow crown H. cabanisi, p. 57. 



