261 
BLACK-HOODED WEAVER. 
Ploceus cucuUaius , Swains. 
Y ellow ; brighter beneath ; the whole of the head, ears, and 
forepart of tho throat, enveloped in a black hood. 
We met with this species, which is quite new to us, 
in the valuable collection of Mr. Warwick, of the 
Surrey Zoological Gardens, while the mode in which 
the skin is prepared leaves no doubt whatever that 
it is a native of the Gambian territory. 
The structure is perfectly typical, and the size in- 
termediate between that of P. textor and rujiceps ; 
the first quill is half as long as the second, which 
again is a quarter of an inch shorter than the third. 
A deep and uniform black hood, with a brownish 
gloss, envelopes the whole of the head and ears, as 
far as the nape, and forms a narrowed lappet in front 
of the throat, as far as the breast ; the feathers ad- 
joining or around the margin of this hood, on the 
upper part of the neck and its side, are bright yel- 
low, which then immediately blends into the olive 
yellow on the back, rump, and tail ; the wings, like 
the generality of these species, are dark-hrown, 
broadly edged with yellow on the tertials and wing- 
covers ; the under plumage is entirely of a fine uni- 
form yellow ; bill black ; legs pale. 
