UROBRACHYA 135 



quills and tail-feathers, blackish-brown edged with pale brown; 

 eyebrows, sides of face and ear-coverts pale brown ; cheeks and 

 under surface of body pale sandy buff, darker on the flanks, which 

 are slightly streaked ; axillaries and under wing-coverts cinnamon- 

 colour. 



Length 5-20 ; wing 3-00 ; tail 1-75 ; tarsus 0-95 ; culmen 0-65. 



Male in winter and the young resemble the female in plumage. 



Distribution. From Eastern Cape Colony through Natal and 

 Zululand into the Eastern Transvaal, the Portuguese Territory, 

 Mosambique and Nyasaland ; extending as far north as Mombas on 

 the east coast. 



Habits. In the lower parts of Natal these Widow Birds are 

 common on the grass veldts, especially those that border on reedy 

 vleis or marshy ground, where the grass grows luxuriantly. Like 

 all the members of this genus they are polygamous in their habits, 

 and in spring the handsome males, looking very brilliant and spruce 

 in their recently acquired plumage of velvety-black, with scarlet 

 and orange epaulettes, may be seen flitting over the reeds or 

 grass with a curious "flopping" flight, each one attended and 

 closely followed in all his movements by ten or twelve females, 

 insignificant-looking little brown birds, which nearly always keep 

 close together in a " bunch " a few yards behind their lord and 

 master. About the beginning of November the females separate 

 and commence building their nests. These are never very close 

 together, although they are all within a certain district that 

 the male seems to look upon as his own exclusive property, 

 and from which he drives other males of his kind, as well as 

 those of the much larger and stronger Coliopasser procne who, 

 hampered by their long tails, stand no chance in a fight with 

 their smaller but much more active antagonist. Each female 

 builds and occupies a separate nest. During the time she is 

 sitting the male stations himself on a tall weed somewhere near the 

 centre of his harem, and keeps a sharp look-out for intruders ; 

 occasionally flying round to see how matters are progressing at his 

 various establishments. Should a man or other dangerous enemy 

 approach, he flies to each nest in succession with a warning note ; 

 upon which the sitting females leave their nests, creep under the 

 grass for some yards, then rise on the wing to follow him to a 

 distance. The nest, usually built in the centre of a tuft of grass, 

 from eight inches to a foot off the ground, is a beautifully light and 

 airy structure, oval in shape and domed, with a side entrance near 



