Birds of Southern Cameroon. 585 



nest itself^ while in nests of the Bhick-and-Yellow Weaver 

 the tube extends downwards a little below the bottom of 

 the nest. Four eggs (Nos. 176-9) were taken from two 

 nests pulled down, with many others^ from a colony in two 

 palm-trees, which I am sure, from having watched it for 

 several days, contained only birds of the black species. 

 One pair measure 25x16 mm. ; the other pair 23 x 16 and 

 22 X 15"5 mm. respectively. 



[The eggs are of a rather pointed oval form, devoid of 

 gloss, and of a uniform deep bluish green. — W. K,. O.-G.] 



Among the different types of eggs of Ploceus cucullatus 

 (see ' Ibis,' 1909, p. 44) none resembles the eggs above 

 describeJ. Hence in a mixed colony of the two species 

 there are about four very distinct types of eggs, a circum- 

 stance that must aid each hen-bird in finding her own, to 

 the benefit of the race. 



Ploceus jviaxwelli. 



Melanopteryx niaxwelli Alexander, Ibis, 1903, p. 355. 



See note under Melanopteryx nu/errinius Bates, Ibis, 

 1909, p. 47. 



Many additional specimens have now been obtained at 

 Eitye, like those to which attention was called in my note in 

 'The Ibis' (/. c. supra), and I have no longer any doubt 

 about their identity with Alexander's M. niaxwelli. 



There is a remarkable variation in the colour of the 

 immature birds that I cannot account for. Some have the 

 jtlumage of the under parts entirely grey, while others have 

 these parts strongly tinged with yellowish-olive, and in some 

 the yellowish colour appears also on the feathers of the nape 

 and the lores. Alexander noted this difi'erence in his 

 specimens, and attributed it to sex, describing the bird with 

 the yellowish-olive in its plumage as the immature male, 

 and the entirely grey one as the immature female. My 

 specimens do not bear this out, as the amount of the 

 yellowish tinge in different specimens varies in all degrees, 

 and two having a large amount of this colour were females. 

 Oil finding that the difference was not due to sex, I 



