by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 227 



outwards and forming a sort of porch to the entrance. The 

 breeding season was apparently just over at the time of my 

 visit, as only one nest still contained young. This is a tame 

 and confiding little bird and easily secured. 



The soft parts are : — Irides rich hazrd ; bill, lower man- 

 dible pearly white, upper pink ; legs and toes fleshy. In 

 the young the bill has black markings.] 



Pyrenestes granti. 



Sharpe, Bull. B. O. C. xxi. 190S, p. 67. 



P. Beira, Dec. 27. 1900 (1 S, type of the species). 

 Masambeti, Nov. 7 (J juv.). 



This species closely resembles P. minor (Shelley, Ibis, 1894, 

 p. 20) from Nyasaland. It differs only in the greater 

 extent of the red of the head, wliich reaches back over 

 the whole crown, well behind the eyes and to the upper 

 breast. It seems probable tiiat the Beira bird is in full 

 breeding plumage, while the only two examples of P. minor 

 are in winter plumage ; they were taken in August. 



The second specimen from Masambeti has only a small 

 spot of red near the gape and on the chin. It is obviously 

 a young bird. 



[This Weaver was only twice seen ; on the second occasion 

 a pair were together, but what was probably the female 

 slipped away in the undergrowth. It frequents densely 

 wooded localities, spending all its time amongst the lower 

 branches and undergrowth, and greatly resembles in all its 

 actions Lagouosticta niveoguttafn. The call is a loud " zit.^^ 



The soft parts are : — Irides dark claret-coloured ; bill 

 black; legs and toes horny broAvn.] 



45. Pytelia melba. 



Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug. (1); Turfloop (1). 



[I have only found this little Finch iiv the North-Eastcrn 

 Transvaal, but as it usually inhabits thick bush I have 

 probably overlooked it elsewhere. On both the occasions 

 when I secured specimens a pair were together. I have not 

 heard its call-note, and it appears to spend its time among 

 the lower parts of the thickets searching for food. 



