PHILETiEBUS LEPIDUS. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. 
Lines. 
Inches. 
Lines. 
Length from the bill to the point of 
Length of the tarsi 
0 
8 
the tail 
4 
9 
the outer toe . . 
0 
34 
of the tail 
2 
0 
the middle toe 
0 
54 
of the wings when folded 
2 
10 
the hinder toe 
0 
of the bill from the gape 
0 
7 
The female differs from the male in 
having the feathers 
of the back 
and 
sides of neck and the interscapulars light brown in place of umber-brown.* In 
young specimens the head is streaked with brown, the patch in front of the 
thighs consists of perfectly distinct black blotches, and no appearance of 
black exists either on the chin or at the base of the bill. 
The banks of the Orange river appear to constitute the southern limit of this bird’s range ; 
but specimens were only obtained in great abundance in the districts around Latakoo, far from 
water. The most striking peculiarity observed in the species, is the extraordinary manner in 
which a number of individuals associate, and build their nests under a common roof. When 
a nestling place has been selected, and the operation of building the nests is to be com- 
menced ah initio, the community immediately proceed conjointly to construct the general 
covering which interests them all ; that being accomplished, each pair begins to form their own 
nest, which, like the roof, they construct of coarse grass : these are placed side by side against 
the under surface of the general covering, and by the time they are all completed, the lower 
surface of the mass exhibits an appearance of an even horizontal surface, freely perforated 
by small circular openings. 
They never use the same nests a second time, though they continue for many years attached 
to the same roof. With the return of the breeding season, fresh nests are formed upon the 
lower surface of those of the previous year, which then form an addition to the general cover- 
ing. In this manner they proceed, year after year adding to the mass, till at last the weight 
often becomes such as to cause the destruction of its support, upon which a new building- 
place is selected. I hey appear to prefer constructing these nests upon large and lofty trees, 
but where such do not occur, they will even condescend to form them upon the leaves of the 
arborescent aloe { A loe cuhoiescens'), as occasionally happens towards the Orange river. The 
commencement of the roof is firmly interwoven with the branches of the trees to which it is 
intended to be suspended ; and often a great part of a principal branch is actually included 
within its substance. Each female lays from three to four eggs, which are of a bluish-white 
colour, and freely mottled towards the large end with small brown dots. When once this 
species has attained maturity, it never afterwards exhibits any change in respect to colours. 
The male has no summer tints which he throws aside in winter, as is the case in Euplectes. 
Seeds, and occasionally small insects, constitute the food. 
* By a mistake, it was stated in the description of this bird, when it was proposed as a type of a 
sub-genus, that the female was without the black chin. 
