FBINQILLIB^. 173 



and graceful, somewhat oval in form, and composed of 

 threads torn from the edges of the branches of young 

 palms. Some nests are thickly lined, whilst others are 

 quite bare within : in the latter the eggs may be seen 

 from the outside; but notwithstanding the seeming 

 looseness with which the threads are interwoven, the 

 apparently frail structure is in reality very strong. 

 The eggs are of a bluish colour, and from three to four 

 in number. 



The iris in this species is dark brown, as also is the 

 bill ; the tarsus is brownish. 



Measurements of a male : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length 5 4 



Length of folded wing ... . 2 10 



„ tarsus 10 



„ middle toe 8 



„ tail 18 



„ bill 7 



The female is a little smaller. 



207. Quelea Sanguinirostris (Linn.). Latham's Finch. 



" FringiUa qrielea, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pis. 22, 23, & 24. 

 Qmlea sanguinirostris, Bonaparte's Conspectus, vol. i. p. 446. 

 Plocetis sanguinirostris, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 



Om. 1852, p. 150. 

 Ploceus Lathamii, Layard's Cat. No. 370 (female). 

 Ploceus sanguinirostris, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 



p. 407. 

 Quelea sanguinirostris, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6618. 

 Ploceus sanguinirostris, Sharpe's Oat. No. 585. 



This is a very common species in Damara Land, where 

 it congregates in immense flocks after the breeding- 

 season ; and it is also common in the Lake-regions. 



