Birds from Sierra Leone. 199 



Pyrenestes coccineus. 



Reichenow (Vog. Afr. iii. p. 106) makes P. coccineus 

 (Cass.) a synonym of P. ostrinus (Vieill.), but there appears 

 to be no doubt that the two species are distinct. In 

 P. coccineus both males and females are brown, while in 

 P. ostrinus the males are black. Bannerman {' Ibis/ 1912, 

 p. 232) identifies two female specimens of Pyrenestes from 

 Sierra Leone as P. ostrinus, but they are more probably 

 P. coccineus. So far as I can see, it is impossible to distin- 

 guish the females of the two species, but up till now, I 

 believe, P. ostrinus has not been recorded from Sierra Leone, 

 and is a more southern bird. 



Hyphantornis cucullattis. 



Mendi name, ^'bakwi " = '^ talk plenty." 



Appears to be common everywhere throughout the Colony 

 and Protectorate, especially in the neighbourhood of towns 

 and villages. About Freetown it is particularly fond of 

 cocoanut trees, the branches of which are often completely 

 denuded of foliage to construct the nests which hang in 

 dozens on the branches. 



The huge silk-cotton trees (Eriodendron sp.), which are 

 found in or near every town, are also favourite nesting- 

 places of these birds, colonies of thousands building in 

 them. 



Hyphanturgus brachypterus. 



Does not occur in large colonies like the preceding species, 

 but builds its nests singly or two or three together. 

 Irides pale ochreous. 



Melanopteryx castaneofusca. 



Shelley gives the colour of the iris as brown, whereas it is 

 bright chrome-yellow, according to my observations. 



Spermospiza haematina. 



A very shy bird and rarely seen. It lives in dense thickets 

 which it seldom leaves. 



