PLOCEID.E SPOEOPIPES 87 



wing-coverts light brown ; remaining wing-coverts and inner 

 secondaries black margined with white ; quills brown with paler 

 edges ; tail-feathers black edged all round with white ; feathers in 

 front of and below eye, chin and streak on each side of throat 

 black ; cheeks and centre of throat pure white ; remaining under 

 surface white, the sides of breast and flanks tinged with grey, the 

 breast with fawn-colour ; edge of wing mottled brown and white ; 

 axillaries and under wing-coverts white. 



Iris light brown ; bill pink ; tarsi and feet flesh-colour. 



Length 4-30 ; wing 2-25 ; tail 1-75 ; tarsus O55 ; culmen 0-40. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but smaller. 



Length 4'00 ; wing 2-20; tail 1-50; tarsus 0-55; culrnen 0-40. 



Young. Head light brown streaked with brown ; wing and tail- 

 feathers edged with dull white ; otherwise like the adults. 



Distribution. South Africa: from Northern Cape Colony, 

 Griqualand West and the Orange Free State northward throughout 

 the Transvaal, ranging into Matabili, Mashona and Bechuana Lands, 

 and extending to Lake Ngaini, the Okavango River and the south 

 of Benguela ; on the west coast in Great Namaqua and Damara 

 Lands. 



Habits. These pretty little Weaver Birds are very abundant on 

 the banks of the Orange River in small flocks among the bushes 

 and mimosa trees that fringe the banks of the river. Although they 

 perch freely on bushes, they appear to obtain all their food, consist- 

 ing of grass-seeds and small insects, from the ground. They are 

 active and vivacious little birds, of quarrelsome dispositions and 

 somewhat noisy when feeding, as they keep up a constant bickering 

 with one another. They are very tame and fearless, frequenting 

 the houses and kraals to feed among the poultry and sparrows. In 

 winter they generally join the flocks of waxbills and finches. The 

 nest is always built in a thorny bush at a height of from three to ten 

 feet. It is an untidy-looking domed structure of irregular shape, 

 artlessly woven out of grass with the stalks left projecting in all 

 directions. The side entrance is concealed either by the bristling 

 stalks of grass, or by a handful of grass placed in the bush in front 

 of it. The interior of the nest is thickly lined, sometimes with 

 feathers, at others with the down of various plants. 



On the Orange River these Weavers build in March and April, 

 on the Limpopo in June and July. 



The eggs, four or five in number, vary in shape and colour ; the 

 ground colour is pale blue-green, this is thickly marked with 



