78 PLOCEID^E TEXTOB 



Genus V. TEXTOR. 



Type. 

 Textor, Temminck, PL Col. iii, pi. 446 (1828) ............ T. albirostris. 



Bill rather long, cone-shaped, broad at the base, compressed 

 laterally, the culmen flattened towards the base and prolonged 

 backwards to a point on the forehead, curved towards the tip ; the 

 lateral margins sinuated ; the gonys long and ascending ; nostrils 

 basal, ovate, lateral, uncovered by plumes. Wings rounded, reaching 

 a short distance beyond the base of the tail ; the first primary about 

 half the length of the second, which equals the fifth and is a little 

 shorter than the third and fourth. Tail of moderate length and 

 rounded. Tarsi as long as the middle toe, robust and coarsely 

 scaled anteriorly ; the lateral toes equal, as long as the hind toe. 

 Claws moderately strong and curved. Sexes differ slightly in 

 plumage. 



This genus includes three species of African Weaver Birds, 

 one only inhabiting South Africa. 



39. Textor niger. Buffalo Weaver Bird. 



Bubalornis niger, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. App. p. 52 (1836). 

 Textor erythrorhynchus, Smith, III. Zool. 8. Afr. pi. 64 (1841) ; 



Layard, B. S.Afr. p. 178 (1867) ; Holub andPelzeln, Ornith. Sildafr. 



p. 113 (1882) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard 1 s B. S. Afr. p 445 (1884). 

 Bubalornis erythrorhynchus, Gurney in Anderssoris B. Damara Land 



p. 165 (1872). 

 Textor niger, Strickland & Sclater, B. Damara Land, in Contr. Orn. 



1852, p. 150 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 509 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. 



i, p. 34 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Entirely black, the bases of the 

 feathers white ; most of the feathers of the sides and flanks, under 

 the wings, parti-coloured, black and white ; primaries (excepting the 

 outer two) edged externally with white, their inner webs below for 

 their basal three-fourths, silvery white. 



Iris hazel ; bill red ; tarsi and toes salmon colour. 



Length 9-60; wing 4-75; tail 4-50; tarsus 1-25; culmen 0-90. 



Adult female. Browner than the male and duller in colour; the 

 face tinged with grey ; chin and throat whitish ; some of the breast 

 feathers margined with white. 



Young. Eesemble the female, but the feathers of the under 

 surface are edged with white. 



