PLOCEID^E AMADINA 119 



barred with black and tipped with white ; wings light brown, the 

 coverts and secondaries with narrow black subterminal bars and 

 white tips, the primaries with light edges ; tail brown, all but the 

 two central feathers tipped with white ; lores whitish ; sides of 

 face, chin, and upper throat scarlet; lower throat and sides of neck 

 whitish barred faintly with dusky ; breast grey, each feather tipped 

 with black, followed by a broad bar of white and a narrow bar of 

 black, giving the plumage a scaled appearance; sides and flanks 

 with broader bars, the feathers at their bases tinged with reddish ; 

 under tail-coverts brown tipped with white and with a subterminal 

 bar of black ; edge of wing mottled brown and white ; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts fawn-coloured ; under surface of quills light 

 dusky, their inner edges fawn-coloured. 



Iris brown ; bill brownish ; legs and feet flesh-coloured. 



Length 5'50 ; wing 2-90 ; tail 2-00 ; tarsus O65 ; culmen 0-50. 



Amadina erythrocephala. 



Adult female. Is smaller, and lacks the red on the face and 

 throat, the latter being whitish barred with brown. 



Length 4-80 ; wing 2-90 ; tail 1-80 ; tarsus 0'65 ; culmen 0-45. 



Distribution. Northern Cape Colony, extending as far south 

 as Kenhardt, and ranging into the Orange Free State and the 

 Transvaal, thence through Matabili and Bechuana Lands to the 

 Lake Ngami district. On the west coast through Great Namaqua 

 and Damara Lands into Benguela. 



Habits. In nearly all its habits, in its flight, as well as in many 

 of its notes, this Weaver Finch very closely resembles the Cape 

 Sparrow (Passer arcuatus). In localities in which both species 

 occur they frequently associate together, and in Damara Land 

 Andersson found them breeding in company, both on trees and 

 under the eaves of his house, their nests being often placed side 

 by side. The Bed-headed Weaver Finch is a very social bird, 

 remaining in flocks, often of considerable size, all the year round, 





