92 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 23 



bird and the extensive coincidence of their geographic ranges. He 

 dismissed the fact that the juvenal plumage of the pintail (van Som- 

 eren's original identification) is equally like that of the host species, 

 and its geographic range is even more completely coincidental with 

 that of the Estrilda. I include this host record in the account of the 

 pintail especially since there are other instances of this species para- 

 sitizing this waxbill. Boetticher (1952, p. 51) appeared to accept 

 Neunzig's reidentification of the parasite, but gave no further 

 information. 



The only bird said to be victimized by the blue widow bird is the 

 bronze mannikin, SjJermestes cvcullatus, which V. G. L. van Someren 

 (in. litt. November 23, 1950) found to be so affected near Kisumu, 

 Kenj^a, in July 1912 and 1913. More recently, however, he (1956, 

 p. 503) qualified this statement by writing that he saw the hen blue 

 widow bird at the nest of the bronze mannikin, which "suggests that 

 the species is parasitic . . . but proof positive is lacldng." 



Food and Feeding Habits 



Hawker (1899, p. 60), in British Somaliland, noted blue widow birds 

 mixing with flocks of other small finches feeding on the "jowari 

 stubbles." I have not been able to identify "jowari" but assume that 

 it is a local grass or grasslike plant. Jackson (1938, pp. 1528-1529) 

 saw the blue widow bird come to a rock pool to drink at various times 

 between noon and 5 p.m. Fischer (in Reichenow, 1904, p. 217) saw 

 it in loose flocks of from 10 to 30 individuals together with firefinches, 

 in abandoned fields. 



The gizzard of a specimen collected at Isciolo, Kenya, contained 

 many small grass (?) seeds. 



Plumages 



Adult male in breeding plumage: Entire head, back, rump, 

 upper wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts, breast, and abdomen glossy 

 Dusky Violet-Blue. Small, often concealed, whitish patch on either 

 side of the rump. Remiges Fuscous, narrowly edged externally with 

 whitish and basally broadly so internally. Under wing-coverts and 

 axillars white. Four median rectrices very elongated, dull Black 

 with faint bluish gloss laterally. Other rectrices Fuscous-Black to 

 Black, narrowly tipped with white. Iris brown. Bill fleshy brown 

 at base, dusky brown terminally. Tarsi and toes pale grayish brown. 

 Wings 59-67.5 (64) mm. Tail 40-47 (44) mm. Median rectrices 

 up to 205 mm. Cuhiien 9-10 mm. Tarsus 13.5-16 (15) mm. 



Adult male in nonbreeding plumage: Very similar to the cor- 

 responding plumage of V. macroura, from which it differs in having 

 the remiges broadly edged with white on their inner webs, and in 



