PLOCEID.E HYPHANTOENIS 65 



keeping up a ceaseless chattering, which is changed to a harsher 

 cry if they are alarmed. These Weavers feed indiscriminately on 

 seeds, small berries, and insects. The nest, more or less beehive- 

 shaped, is attached to the stem of one or two reeds, if to a single 

 reed this passes through one side. The entrance is from below and 

 at the side. It is woven from long strips of reed-leaves and is 

 lined with finer pieces of leaf as well as the flowering tops. The 

 eggs, three in number, are rather pyriform in shape, and white with 

 a few black dots towards the larger end. They measure about 

 0-75x0-58. 



^c 

 29. Hyphantornis jamesoni. Jameson's Weaver Bird. 



Hyphantornis xanthops (nee Hartl.), Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 352; 



Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 438 (partim) (1884). 

 Hyphantornis jamesoni, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 447 (1890). 

 Xanthophilus jamesoni, Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 39 (1896). 



Description. Adult Male. Similar to the male of Hyphantornis 

 subaureus, but the yellow is tinged with green, only the forehead 

 being pure yellow ; the sides of neck and ear-coverts olive-green ; 

 wing-coverts and quills dark brown edged with olive ; tail-feathers 

 olive-brown margined with yellow. 



Iris pale tawny yellow ; bill black ; feet pale brown. 



Length 7-20; wing 3-75; tail 2-75 ; tarsus 1-05 ; culmen 0'80. 



Adult Female. A good deal greener than the male ; the tail 

 feathers without the yellow edgings on the inner web. 



Iris light hazel ; bill horn-brown. 



Length 7-00; wing 3-35; tail 2-40; tarsus 1-00; culmen 0-75. 



Distribution. From Swaziland to Mashon aland and the Maka- 

 laka District. The type specimen was obtained by Mr. J. S. Jame- 

 son on the Umvuli River. 



Habits. Similar to those of Hyphantornis subaureus. Mr. 

 Jameson, who met with this species on the Umvuli River in 

 Mashonaland, on the llth of September, states that it was rot very 

 common. Those seen were feeding on the blossoms of the " sausage 

 tree." 

 5 



