72 PLOCEID^: SYCOBROTUS 



Key to the Species. 



a. Feathers of crown and throat uniform dull black 8. bicolor, p. 72. 



b. Feathers of crown and throat with grey tips S. stictifrons, p. 73. 



Sycobrotus bicolor. 



V / y 



34. Sycobrotus bicolor. Black-backed Weaver Bird. 



Ploceus bicolor, Vieill. N. Diet, xxxiv, p. 127 (1819) ; Shelley, Ibis, 



1887, p. 119. 

 Sycobius bicolor, Gray, Gen. B. ii, p. 352 (1849) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. 



p. 183 (1867). 

 Sycobrotus bicolor, Cab. Mus. Hein. i, p. 182 (1850) ; Sharpe, ed. 



Layard s B. S. Afr. p. 432 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 422 (1890) ; 



Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 37 (1896). 



" Hinge Bird " of Natal Colonists. 



Description. Adult male. Head, face, cheeks, entire upper 

 surface of body, tail-feathers, wing coverts and secondaries dull 

 rusty-black, the rump and upper tail-coverts tinged with olive ; 

 primaries black edged with white ; throat black, black mottled with 

 yellow, or yellowish, depending on the season ; rest of under surface 

 golden-yellow, deeper on the breast ; edge of wing mottled black and 

 white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pure white. 



Iris dark brown ; bill brown, the edges whitish ; tarsi and feet 

 flesh-colour. 



Length 6-30 ; wing 3-50 ; tail 2-30 ; tarsus 0-90 ; culmen 0-80. 



Adult female. Eesembles the male in plumage. 



Distribution. South Africa : from Algoa Bay to Natal and 

 Zululand. 



Habits. This species differs considerably in its habits from the 

 majority of the Ploceince. It is never met with in flocks but almost 

 invariably in single pairs, generally in thick forest or bush, where 





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