590 
Mr. Gr. L. Bates on the 
deep greenish-blue, the few scattered rounded black spots or 
dots being entirely absent (cf. 'Ibis/ 1909, p. 50).—W. R. 
O.-G.] 
Spermestes cucullata. [Aseleke.] 
Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 345 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 50. 
A pair of this Aseleke began to build, in the month of 
August, inside an old nest of Ploceus cucullcitus , in a palm- 
tree standing within a few feet of my house, after I had 
exterminated or driven away the birds of the latter species 
from the tree. The little fellows flew backwards and for¬ 
wards very rapidly between the old nest and a patch of big 
grass, bringing each time a bit of grass-top and entering 
the nest with it. But, unfortunately, they discovered me 
watching them, and abandoned that nesting-place. 
Spermestes poensis. [Aseleke.] (Text-fig. 16, B, p.590.) 
Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 96 ; 1908, p. 344 ; Bates, Ibis, 
1909, p. 51. 
Young birds of this species differ greatly in plumage 
Text-fig. 16 . 
A. Mouth of young Spermospiza guttata (from a sketch by the author), 
see p. 587. B. Mouth of nestling Spermestes poensis, see p. 590. 
from adults, being brownish-black above, smoky-brown 
beneath, and lighter brownish-buff: in the middle of the 
breast and abdomen. Some specimens have some of the 
