274



Correspondence.



each member do his and her utmost to make our Magazine a

worthy periodical, for it goes across the seas, not only to the Con¬

tinent, but also to Africa, Australia, and America.


* * *


N.B. Advertisements, with the money for them, should be

sent to the Publishers, and not to the Editor.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, &c.


NAME OP WEAVER.


SIR, —Can you help me to identify two Yellow Weavers? The cock,

which was bought from a dealer as a hen Rufous-necked, is rather larger than

my cock Rufous-neck. The back-wings are greenish yellow, face in front of

eyes, upper part of throat brownish black, remainder of body rich yellow.


The hen is the size of a Grenadier Weaver. Back and wings greenish

yellow as in the cock, face and remainder of body chrome yellow. Neither of

these birds have had a seasonal change of colour.


I am anxious to know the name of these birds as they have mated and

the hen is sitting on eggs.


Thanking you in anticipation. WM. SHORE BAILY.


The following reply has been sent to Mr. Baily : —


The Black and Yellow true Weavers are most difficult to name with

certainty, excepting by comparison with skins in a Museum.


I think it probable that your bird will prove to be the Masked Weaver

(Sitagra monacha ), but it might be S. luteola or Hyphantornis vitellinus.


With these birds having a similar general plan of colouring it is always

most satisfactory to take them to a Natural History Museum for identification.


_ A. G. Butler.


NAME OP FRUIT PIGEON.


SIR, —I have just received four specimens of the enclosed African Fruit

Pigeons, but unfortunately the one enclosed died when being sent to me from

the gentleman that hand-reared them and brought them over from West Africa.

The purple patch on the shoulder blade shows much more distinctly in the three

living birds. The four birds were reared from two nests and are about twelve

months old. If you can identify them for me I shall esteem it a favour and

enclose stamp for reply.


Thanking you in anticipation. P. W. THORNILEY.


The following reply has been sent to Mr. Thorniley :—


I make out your bird to be either the female or young of the Bare-faced

Fruit-Pigeon (Vinago calva ) : it answers well to the description of that species

in the Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum, and there seems to be nothing

else that it could be. A. G. BUTLER.



