120 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 23 



species does not wear the breeding plumage as long as the paradise 

 widow bird does. 



In their experimental study of the relation of light to molt, F. A. 

 Brown and M. RoUo (1940) used pintails among other birds. They 

 used what they considered to be young pintails (how age was de- 

 termined is not explained, but apparently they were given this infor- 

 mation by the dealer who supplied the pintails, a doubtful source). 

 They reported that m suitably controlled experiments male birds 

 acquire adult nuptial plumage during their first year of life if subjected 

 to daily light periods of 16 hours. If the age of the pintails used was 

 correct, this result is contrary to the pictm-e in the wild. Further 

 studies along the same line are needed to establish this result. 



Aside from the accelerating effect of supernormal illumination on 

 plumage cycles, the investigators also described an aspect of the 

 molt that has not otherwise been recorded. "Vidua had feathers on 

 its back that were black in the center and brown on the edges. As 

 in many other species, when the bird changed color these feathers 

 did not molt but the edges dropped off leaving a solid color. This 

 phenomenon is usually attributed to wear, but, from these experi- 

 ments there would seem to be some kind of control in addition to 

 simple wear or age of the feather. The edges of the feathers of 

 Vidua di'opped off in one week and out of season. The shabby 

 appearance of remiges at the end of the season may be related in the 

 same way to the molt." Examination of museum specimens throws 

 no light on this pomt, and there are no detailed pertinent field obser- 

 vations. In this connection, I cannot help but think of the peculiar 

 marginal shedding in the elongated rectrices of nuptial male paradise 

 widow birds (see pp. 137-138 for a discussion of this item). 



Native Names 



While I have made no special attempt to gather aU known native 

 African names applied to the pintail, the following were noted as I 

 came across them. In a few instances the name of the tribal language 

 was not stated, and I have not been able to fill in this mformation. 

 As in all compilations of this sort, there are two main sources of error 

 to be kept in mind: The man recorduig the names may have mis- 

 heard or poorly transliterated them; the native informant may not 

 have distinguished the bird from other similar species, and may 

 even have invented names to please the inquirer. 



Native name Tribe Locality 



Abou mous "Arabicized" French West Africa 



Am faseye "Arabicized" French West Africa 



Ardo-bicha Fulani West Africa 



Babewatoto Bondei Tanganyika 



