PLOCEPASSER MAHALI. 



distinct scuta in front, entire behind ; the outer and inner toes of equal 

 length, the hinder one slightly shorter, but stronger, the middle one much the 

 longest. Claws of the front toes slightly curved and pointed ; those of the 

 hind ones with a greater curvature, and considerably stouter. 



Inch. Lines 

 Length from the point of the bill to the 



tip of the tail C 6J 



of the bill from the gape 8^ 



of the wings when folded 4 1 1 



of the tail 2 GJ 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inch. Lines. 



Length of the tarsus 10 J 



of the middle toe 



of the outer too 4^ 



of the inner too i\ 



of the hinder toe 3 J 



The Female in respect of colours is very similar to the male. 



On our first seeing this bird upon a tree on one of the tributary streams of the great 

 northern branch of the Orange River, we found it a matter of difficulty even to surmise what 

 would be its position in our systems of ornithology. Its figure, viewed either when it was perched 

 on the tree, or resting upon the ground, had much resemblance to that of a Ploceus ; while its 

 colour, habits, &c., bespoke its close alliance to the Sparrows ; and the discovery of a tree, 

 studded with their nests, tended to support the idea of such a double relationship. The nests, as 

 far as figure and texture were concerned, had many of the characters of those of Ploceus ; while 

 from the manner in which they were armed they resembled those of some of the Pyrgita of 

 Southern Africa. The entire of the walls of each nest was composed of stalks of grass, the 

 thickest extremities of which were so placed as to protrude externally for several inches 

 beyond the more compact structure destined to contain the eggs. By this management each 

 nest appeared armed with numerous projecting spines, and bore considerable resemblance to 

 the body of a Porcupine, when its spines are partially erected. Several of the Pyrgita arm 

 their nests after the same fashion, only they select for the purpose the delicate twigs of shrubs 

 or brushwood, instead of stalks of grass: the object of both being the same, to offer an obstacle 

 to the advance of snakes towards the reservoir of their eggs and young ones. A solitary 

 specimen of Plocepasser is seldom seen ; it is a bird disposed to congregate, and we met with 

 small, and even occasionally with large flocks, as far north as the Tropic of Capricorn. The 

 disposition for society is also evinced during the breeding season, when oftentimes twenty or 

 thirty nests are to be seen upon one tree, and disposed as represented in the back ground of 

 the plate. It feeds upon seeds and small insects, and in search of these it passes much of its 

 time upon the ground. When disturbed while so employed, the whole of the individuals of 

 the flock move away in a body, and resort to some tree in the neighbourhood, upon which they 

 remain until they are satisfied that they may with safety return to their labours. This and 

 Ploceus sujjerciliosus of Ruppell are the only species of the groupe yet known, and as Plocep- 

 asser was employed by me to designate the groupe more than twelve months before the term 

 4-grophilus was proposed by Swainson, the species must stand as 



Plocepasser Mahali, Smith. 



Plocepasser Superciliosus — Agrophilus superciliosus, Swainson. 



