92 PLOCEID^ LAGONOSTICTA 



lovable, bold little creatures, which confidently invade the interior 

 of stable, cooking, or dwelling-house, in order to obtain a few 

 crumbs. The call-note is a sharp chirp; the song is similar, though 

 not unmelodious. I rarely noticed this little bird by day on trees 

 or shrubs; they prefer the ground and resort to ditches, dung- 

 heaps, or places where kitchen refuse lies, and sit on walls, roofs 

 and windows, and they are very unwilling to abandon situations 

 to which they have taken a fancy as long as men reside in the 

 neighbourhood." 



Key to the Species. 



a. Breast and sides of body crimson. 

 a 1 . Under tail-coverts black. 



a 2 . Head slate-grey, back brown, not tinged 



with red or crimson L. rubricata, p. 92. 



6 2 . Head and back strongly tinged with 



crimson L. jamesoni, p. 93. 



6 1 . Under tail-coverts brown, head brown ... L. brunniceps, p. 94. 



b. Breast and sides of body black thickly spotted 



with white. 

 c 1 . Under tail-coverts black. 



c 2 . Spots on breast and sides smaller and 



pure white L. niveoguttata, p. 95. 



d 2 . Spots on breast and sides larger, white 



tinged pink L . margaritata, p. 96. 



Lagonosticta rubricates. 



47. Lagonosticta rubricata. South African Buddy Waxbill. 



Fringilla rubricata, Licht. Verz. Doubl p. 27 (1823). 

 Estrelda rubricata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 197 (1867). 

 Lagonosticta rubricata, Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. p. 475 (1884) ; 

 id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 281 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 31 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Crown and hind neck grey ; mantle, 

 back and wings brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts crimson ; tail- 

 feathers black washed with crimson externally ; forehead, eyebrow 

 and feathers round eye crimson ; ear-coverts and sides of neck grey 



