146 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 22 3 



of the spatial isolation of breeding males inherent in the concept of 

 territoriahty, when he noted (1938, pp. 1530-1531) that on Manda 

 Island "single cock birds in full breeding dress were frequently seen 

 , . . and I have no note of more than one fuU-plumaged cock with half 

 a dozen or so of females and immature birds being met with until 

 February 1910, when there were five beautiful cocks in a flock of twenty 

 at a spot between Voi and Tsavo." Unfortunately he gave no indica- 

 tion that the Februar}'^ birds were really in breeding plumage. Ban- 

 nerman (1949, p. 394), apparently using notes made by Col. W. R. 

 Thompson in Sierra Leone, noted that the males are occasionally pug- 

 nacious and "territorial minded," and drive away intruders from their 

 favorite perches. However, no actual data were given. Obviously, 

 much more actual data is needed to determine the extent of 

 territorial behavior in the paradise widowbird. 



Many \vriters reported the paradise widow bird to be polygamous 

 because usually there are several females (or female-like birds) \vith 

 each nuptial-plumaged male. This evidence is by no m.eans sufficient 

 as many of these "sparrowy" individuals may be j^ear-old bhds of 

 either sex not yet in breeding condition. Lynes (1924, p. 678) sus- 

 pected, from his notes, specimens, and the observations of Chapin, 

 V. G. L. van Someren, and others that the supposed harems and even 

 the assumed pol3^gamous habit are due to the appearance created by^ 

 the adherence to the group of the young of the previous season, as 

 was found to be the case among pintails and, with less evidence, 

 among shafttails. On the other hand, polygamy does occur as the 

 normal picture in some species of Ewplectes and Ploceus. Mouritz 

 (1915, p. 556) found near Bulawayo that while single full-plumaged 

 male paradise widow birds were often seen with as many as 50 brown 

 "sparrowy" birds, elsewhere he found each male followed by only two 

 or three females (or female appearing birds) . Hoesch and Niethammer 

 (1940, pp. 363-365) Avrote that the paradise widow bird lives polj-ga- 

 mously, but they recorded no actual evidence in this matter. 



Eggs and Egg Laying 



The eggs of the paradise widow bird are pure white and measure 

 from 17.7-19.5 by 13-14 mm. These facts are known from a com- 

 pletely shelled oviduct egg from a mid, killed bird recorded by J. 

 Vincent (1936, p. 115) and from eggs laid in aviaries. 



Nothing is known of the number of eggs laid in one season. Vincent 

 found one bird had already laid one or more eggs and had two more 

 well developed ova, one almost ready to lay. In capti^^ty one hen 

 laid 10 eggs between early May and mid-Jul}'- (Lloyd, 1955), some in 

 a nest of a fire finch, and some on the floor of the cage. 



