362



Mr. W. E. Teschemaker,



with splendid results, hatching 92 per cent, of the total number of

egg's. Few poultrymen, even under the best of conditions, which we

surely did not have, attain such an average. The ducklings, too,

were reared with encouragingly little loss. On the 2,000-mile

journey hack I attended the consignment personally in the express

cars, taking sole care of the interesting and almost priceless little

fellows, and landed all but a few tiny ones safe at their destination.



NESTING OF THE SCALY-FRONTED


FINCH.


(,Sporopipes squamifrons : Amadina squamifrons ; Fringilla

lepidoptera ).


By \Y. E. Teschemaker,


This charming little bird has been placed by several authori¬

ties among the Weavers, though it has the habits and appearance of a

Finch. I express no opinion about the matter. Dr. Butler quotes

Russ as saying that it had “ only once been imported ’’ into

Germany, but in my edition (1878), he says “ very rarely imported.”

A small consignment reached this country in 1907 from which I

obtained two examples—unfortunately both females.


It is a handsome little species, measuring, in length over all,

4'38" : wing, 2‘12"; tail, E50". The nape and back are a delicate

mouse-grey, almost dove-colour ; on the forehead a patch of small,

narrow-pointed, black feathers with white margins (which give the

species its popular name) ; primaries blackish-brown ; tertiaries very

showy—deep black with broad white margins ; tail ditto, except the

outer rectrices ; underparts white ; beak and feet, pale flesh-colour ;

conspicuous black moustachial streaks ; 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th

primary emarg'inated.


Habitat : “ Southern Africa to the south of the Quanza and

Zambesi Rivers” (Shelley) ; “ South Africa, especially Damaraland ”

(Russ) ; “ from North Cape Colony to Northern Rhodesia


(Haagner).


From Major Horsbrugh’s small consignment, alluded to



