T H E NARO I W E A V ; . ! -
Pyromehina a/ra, OMKriN.
IS IS one of tlie most beiiuiiful find plentifully r .rortcd of tlie ^A^est
African Weavers, it is foiuid from Senegambia »o the Niger and Fer
nando Po.
"When in colour the male bird is for the most part of r> ''--jjlit buLlercup
yellow coloui-, but the face and cliiii are occupied b}- a k patch which
also enrloses the eye; the nape of the neck, breast lad .mcomcti are alsf
velvety black, the wings and tail dark brownish, with, p;' r edges to the
feathei-s. Length inches. Beak black, legs flesh-tole > ed ; i blackish brown.
Male in winter plumage (and Female) above pair taw.; brow!i, the wnng
feathers blacki.sh with yellowish broTO margins; all the other feathers mth
dark brown centres ; a broad Imflf eyebrow ; ear-coverts brown, edged ' above
with blackish; bodj' below sandy brown, tiie face and brea.st yei^ - tW
throat, breiist and side.s streaked witli blackish ; throat and abdonii u-bitish.
Beak pinkish honi-colour, lovrer mandible; palei"; eye-stripe if n , :ili>wer
than ^liL.. of the female and sides of bod\' more .'^triperl
Hr Riiss says, thai the sexes during the i^inlcr w.-..-.. .<:• hard to
distii.giiish, but the male has the coloiiriug of the OLtà: wing-feathers
more nonnced and here and there it b-s a ù .-.u-.cr: to my mind
the beali is larger, giving the head of the '.naie a iiioi\. -essive appearance,
winch is fully borne out by the bird's hfl-.r.i-louv
Von Henglin says: 'We saw it about LnV.,- Tana in Abyssinia and on
Semyen Mountains in the winter and iiriiti'-diately before the rainy season.
Here it appears to be a resident bird and live.', in onipanies of from three to
eight head, which frequently keep close togetlier ami ,;ffect low scrub in hedges
and . dense fields of maize, and about thrashing-floors, p' eferable in the vicinit}'
of pastures. It has also been observed at Sobat and the Wiite Nile."
Dr. Russ correctly observes " In capti vitj' Napoleon Weavers are perfectly
NAPOLEON WEiS/ER.^.S.
•!i.i r I
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im
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