112 PLOCEID^ SPERMESTES 



Habits. This species is frequently kept in captivity in Europe, 

 and is known to dealers and bird fanciers as the " Magpie Manni- 

 kin," from its contrasting colours of black arid white. 



I have only occasionally met with this Weaver Finch, nor can 

 I find any record of its habits in a state of nature. The following 

 account of the caged bird by Dr. Euss is from Dr. Butler's " Foreign 

 Finches in Captivity." 



" The pair is always inseparable, and the male performs precisely 

 the humming, hopping love-dance of the Little Pie" (Bronze 

 Mannikin, S. cucullata). 



II The nest is constructed in any kind of cavity or even openly in 

 a bush, in the latter case tolerably skilfully built in a rounded form 

 and with a narrow lateral entrance hole, of bast, thread and stalks, 

 and lined with blades of grass, as well as little soft rags, wadding, 

 &c. The laying consists of four to six pure white eggs. The young 

 plumage above is dull uniform chocolate-brown, below whitish grey- 

 brown ; beak black ; feet blackish-brown. The change of colour 

 begins in about the sixth week, in that the plumage above grows 

 darker and below lighter until finally pure white. After the first 

 year the feathers of the head first show the metallic gloss, and then 

 also the yellow-brown spot on the sides, which is very gradually 

 developed, is fully defined. Many pairs nest readily and produc- 

 tively ; others on the contrary, year in year out, make no attempt 

 at nest building." 



The Pied Weaver Finches feed in small parties, on grass and 

 other small seeds ; they are fond of dusting themselves, like sparrows, 

 on a road or other bare spot. 



61. Spermestes scutatus. Hooded Weaver Finch. 



Coccothraustes scutatus, Heuglin, Syst. Uebers, p. 39 (1856). 

 Spermestes scutatus, Heuglin, Journ. f. Ornith. 1863, p. 18 ; 



Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 265 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 28 (1896). 

 Spermestes cucullata (nee Swains), Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. 



p. 456 (1884) ; Shelley, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 587. 



Description. Adult male. Above ash-brown, the lower back 

 and rump barred with brown and whitish ; scapulars steel-green ; 

 lesser wing-coverts brown glossed with green ; remaining coverts 

 and quills brown edged with grey or white ; upper tail- coverts ash- 

 colour ; tail blackish ; crown glossy steel-green ; nape brown ; lores, 

 feathers about eyes, sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks and throat 



