P H IL E T jERUS L E P IE U S—S m ith .
A yes.— P late V I I I . (Mal e .)
p. capite doisoque pallide flavo-bruimek; collo supcme, interaapularibusque nipo-brunneis plumis
albo-marginatis; remigibus reotricibusque brunneis, harum apicibus isabcUinis, gula stngaque a.
basin rostri nigris; genis, collo subtus, pectorc ventrcque pallid^ isabellims, vitta longitudinali ante
femora nigra, plumis albo-marginatis; oculis brunneis; rostro pedibusque paUidis.
Longitudo, 4f"unc.
L oxia socia, Latham, Paters Toy.. PI. 19.
P loceus socius, Guv, Reg. Animal, tom. i. p. 384. i 1817.
PHILET2EBUS lepidus, Smith, Mag. of Nat. History, new series, yol. 1. p. 536,.
Edplecies iepidus, Sioaimon, Lard. Cab. Cyclopaedia, vol. Menageries, page 309.
C olour.—T h e to p o f th e h e a d , th e n a p e an d th e b a c k d ra b b ro w n ; th e
b a c k a n d sid e s o f n e c k , an d th e in te rs c a p u la rs um b e r-b row n ; e a c h fe a th e r
m a rg in ed w ith p a le is a b e lla c o lo u r ; ch in , a n d a s trip e a t th e b a s e o f th e
b ill w h ich te rm in a te s on a lin e w ith th e ey e , b la c k . T h e w in g s a n d ta il
lig h t um b e r-b row n ; th e te rtia ry q u ill fe a th e rs b ro ad ly ed g e d an d tip t with
is a b e lla c o lo u r ; th e ta il fe a th e rs also th a t colour a t th e ir ex trem itie s . T h e
sid e s o f th e h e a d , th e u n d e r p a r t o f th e n e c k , th e b r e a s t a n d b e lly , a p a le
is a b e lla c o lo u r; th e fla n k s p a le ru s ty b r o w n ; in fro n t o f e a ch th ig h a d e e p
b la c k s t r ip e ; th e fe a th e rs m a rg in ed w ith yellowish w h ite . B ill a n d eg s a
p a le h o rn -co lo u r, th e forme r s lig h tly clo u d ed w ith brown. E y e s d a r k brown.
F orm, &c.—F ig u r e ra th e r sle n d e r ; b ill more com p re ssed th a n in Euplectes;
cu lm en s lig h tly a rc h e d from th e b a s e ; com m issu re s in u a t e d ; le g s arid to e s
s tro n g ; ta r s i in fro n t cove red b y tra n sv e rs e p la te s , th e m a rg in s o f wh ich a re
d is tin c tly d e f in e d ; o u te r a n d in n e r to e s n e a rly o f eq u a l le n g th , claws p o in te
a n d m u c h cu rv ed , th e h in d e r o n e n o t so lo n g in p ro p o rtio n a s in th e ty p ic a l
Species o f Euplectes; win g s, w h en folded, re a c h to a b o u t th e m id d le o f th e
ta il. T h e first or sp u rio u s q u ill fe a th e r v e ry sh o rt, often s c a rc e ly d isc e rn ib le ;
th e seco n d , th ird , a n d fo u rth n e a rly o f e q u a l le n g th , a n d th e lo n g e s t; th e
ex trem ity o f th e ta il slig h tly ro u n d ed .