o 



94 PLOCEID^ LAGONOSTICTA 



most strongly so on the sides of the crown and back of the neck " 

 (Shelley). 



" Iris dusky brown ; bill bright bluish-ash, with the culmen and 

 tip somewhat dusky ; tarsi and feet pinkish-ash" (Ayres). 



Length 4-00; wing 1-85; tail 1-30; tarsus 0-55; culmen 0-40. 



Adult female. Is duller in colour, especially below ; under tail- 

 coverts blackish, margined with pink. 



Length 3-90; wing 1-80; tail 1-20; tarsus 0-55; culmen O40. 



Distribution. Matabili and Mashona Lands ; Tatin and Umvuli 

 Rivers (Jameson and Ayres). 



Habits. A few individuals of this species were met with by 

 the Jameson expedition to Matabili Land in 1881 ; on the banks 

 of the Umvuli, amongst rough cover, feeding on grass-seeds, in 

 August ; and on the Tatin river, in pairs, in December. 



49. Lagonosticta brunniceps. Little 'Ruddy Waxbil 



- 



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



Lagonosticta minima, Gurney in Andersson's B. Damara Land, p. 176 



(1872) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. p. 476 (1884). 

 Lagonosticta brunniceps, Sharpe, Cat.B. M. xiii, p. 277 (1890) ; Shelley, 



B. Afr. i, p. 31 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Above ; crown and nape brown ; 

 back brown tinged with crimson ; lower back, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts deep crimson ; wing- coverts brown with crimson margins ; 

 primary coverts and quills brown edged with olive ; tail black 

 tinged with crimson on the outer webs ; ear-coverts, face, throat 

 and breast crimson, merging into brown on the flanks, abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts ; axillaries and under wing-coverts silky 

 white tipped with brown. 



Iris crimson; upper mandible reddish-brown; lower rose-red; 

 feet pale brown. 



Length 3-50 ; wing 1-90 ; tail 1-40 ; tarsus O50 ; culmen 0-40. 



Adult female. Above; crown, neck, back and wings uniform 

 brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts crimson ; tail black, tinged 

 with crimson ; lores and slight eyebrow crimson ; ear-coverts and 

 face greyish-brown; below brownish with numerous small white 

 dots on the breast ; chin and centre of abdomen buffish ; under 

 wing-coverts buff and white. 



Iris crimson ; upper mandible dusky-red ; lower rose-red ; feet 

 pale brown. 



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