842 Mr. a. loVeridge : notes ok 



Lagonosticta senegala, subsp. n. 



The birds exhibit a preference for the thatch of grass liuts 

 for a nesting-site, and make themselves perfectly at home, paying 

 but little attention to the human occupants of the place ; in one 

 such case the favourite perch was the towel-rail. This nest 

 contained tliree eggs and a parasitic egg slightly lai'ger ; the male 

 bird was sitting on the lot (Morogoro, 21. vi. 17). Another nest 

 was found to contain four eggs on 30. iii. 17. 



These charming little birds, which may often be seen in 

 company with the blue Urceginthus hopping about on paths at 

 one's very feet, have been rather aptly christened "Animated 

 Plums " by Sir Frederick Jackson, on account of the rosy or plum 

 colour of the males of most of the species. Just before writing 

 up these notes, I was watching a pair sitting side by side on the 

 bough of a fir-like tree ; they had sidled up to one another till 

 they could get no closer. The hen was preening the head 

 plumage of the male, and afterwards touched beaks, making as 

 pretty a little group as one might wish to see. 



Pytelia melba kirki Shelley. 



Found a nest with three pure white eggs in a very low bush. 

 The nest was very similar to that of Urceginthus, being built of 

 flowering grass heads loosely put together, with a tubular 

 entrance in one side (Morogoro, 9. iv. 17). The species is often 

 to be found hopping about after dusk, feeding long after other 

 birds have gone to roost for the night (Morogoro, 23.vii. 17). 



Amblyospiza unicolor Fisch. 



Builds a finely -woven nest attached to reed-stems over water ; 

 such a nest containing three eggs was found (Morogoro, 20. iii. 17). 



Ploceus reichenowi Fisch. 



Clutches consist of two or three eggs ; several such were found 

 between 20. v. 15 and 20. vi. 19. One of these birds fell from a 

 tree just as an acquaintance of mine was passing beneath. It 

 was still warm when brought to me and not a feather disarranged. 

 The only signs of violence were blood oozing from the nostrils 

 and the beak full of clotted blood. On skinning, I found 

 extensive heemorrhage ai'ound the eyes and ears, in intestines, 

 lungs, and about the heart. It appeared to me to have died 

 from the poison of a venomous snake, probably the Boomslange 

 (i>. typus) (Nairobi, 18. ix. 19). 



Ploceus nigrioeps Layard. 



Some scores of nests of the Black-headed Weaver were 

 examined at Morogoro between 13. iii. 17 and ll.iv. 17, and 

 found to contain pure white eggs, white eggs with red blotches, 

 pure blue eggs, and blue eggs with red blotches ; the usual number 

 for a clutch appeared to be tAvo ; three, howevei-, was not 

 uncommon. A bird which I took to be this species was en- 

 gaged in stripping the leaves of a Bussu Palm into threads. It 



