490 
Mr. G. H. Gurney on 
feet across; tlie grass is completely trampled down except 
for a tuft which is left standing in the middle. It is a most 
extraordinary sight to see the males in full breeding- 
plumage with a tail a foot long performing in these dancing- 
grounds. They begin by scratching with their feet in the 
ground, and make the earth fly out beneath their tails, 
w r hich they hold straight up, almost touching the back of 
their heads; in this position they have a ridiculous similarity 
to little cocks ; they then spring into the air four or five 
times with quivering wings and feathers much puffed out; 
after a short rest the whole performance is repeated. 
14, Pyromelana xanthomelana. Black-thighed Weaver- 
Finch. 
Pyromelana ocanthomelana (Rupp.). 
Iris dusky brown ; bill brown ; feet reddish-brown. 
We shot the Black-thighed Weaver-Finch on the hills 
behind Theki; it was not uncommon, but I did not observe 
it anywhere else. 
15, Pyromelana capensis. Black-and-Yellow Weaver- 
Finch. 
Pyromelana capensis Sharpe. 
Iris dark brown ; bill whitish ; feet brown. 
A single male of this species was shot at Naivasha on 
February 23rd ; it was not obtained again. 
16, Ploceipasser melanorhynchus. Black-billed Weaver- 
Finch. 
Ploceipasser melanorhynchus Rupp. 
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs brown. 
Black-billed Weaver-Finches were common at two or 
three of our camps on the Athi River; they were very noisy, 
and at one place we found a large colony of their nests 
hanging from branches of small acacia-trees; these were 
big untidy structures made of fine grass; none of them 
contained eggs, though the birds were observed haunting 
the nests. 
