AMADINA ERVTHROCEPHALA.— Smith. 



AvES. — Plate LXIX. 



A. supra fusco-cinerea, infri flavo-grisea rubro-tincta, et hie plumis ad apices fasciolis nigro-brunneis 

 et faseiis albis variegatis ; abdomiue subalbido rufo-tincto ; capite gulaque in mare puq)ureo-coccineis ; 

 rectricibus, duabus niediis exceptis, ad apices albis. 



LoNGiirDo ') mic. G lin. 



LoxiA ^Iacclosa, Burchcll. — Travels in South Africa, vol. ii. p. 269. 



Colour. — JLiIe. — The upper and lateral parts of the head, the nape and 

 the chin vermilion-red, — the front, sides of the head, and chin, strongly 

 tinted Avith arterial blood-red ; the upper and lateral parts of the neck, the 

 interscapulars, back, rump, and tail coverts brocoli-brown, — the two last- 

 named lightest, tipped with dirty -white, and more or less regularly barred 

 with narrow lines of brownish-red. The throat and breast yellowish-grey, 

 brightened with a slight admixture of hyacinth-red, and barred with deep 

 liver-brown ; the bars are narrow, those on the throat very faint and 

 indistinct, those on the breast strongly marked and arched, the convexity being 

 backwards. On the breast the space between the last two brown bars of 

 each feather, one of which forms its tij), is orange-coloured white ; the belly 

 and flanks are dull hyacinth-red, barred and spotted with white like the 

 breast; vent cream-yellow; the under tail coverts brocoli-brown, broadly 

 tipped with cream-yellow, the colours separated by a narrow brown crescent. 

 The lesser wing coverts and the primary and secondary quill coverts inter- 

 mediate between brocoli-brown and yellowish-brown, several of the former, and 

 all the latter broadly tipped witli cream-yellow and narrowly barred, in front of 

 the latter colour, with brown. The quill feathers are light broAvnish-red, 

 tipped and margined, externally, witli light wood-brown; the tail feathers the 

 same colour, and, except the two middle ones, each has a large white blotch 

 at the tip of its inner vane ; the outer vane of the outermost tail feathers of 

 each side is also white. Bill, dull yellowish-brown, the under mandible 

 lightest and of a pink hue. Eyes, deep reddish brown. Legs, a light 

 flesh colour. 



Form, &c.— Figure rather robust ; head large, bill strong, short, and 

 pointed ; the commissure of the upper mandible is waved, and towards the 



