1. VIDUA. 205 



Videstrelda serena, Lafr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. ISoO, p. 32o. 



Vidua fuliginosa, Licht. Kotnencl. p. 49 (18o4). 



Vidua decora, Ilnrtl. Ibis, 1862, p. 340; Munteiro, t. c. p. 338 ; Gray, 



Hand-l. B. ii. p. 47, no. 6662 (1870). 

 Estrelda carmelita, Hartl. Ibis, 1868, p. 4(3; Gwney, Ibis^, 1873, 



p. 259. 



Adult male in hreeding-plumage. General colour above black, with 

 a slight greenish gloss ; lower back and rump wbite, the feathers 

 mesially streaked with black : lesser and median wing-coverts white, 

 forming a large shoulder-patch ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, pri- 

 mary-coverts, and quills black, with a few remains of white or 

 sandy-buff margins, especially on the inner secondaries ; the inner 

 greater coverts also externally white ; upper tail-coverts black with 

 hoary grey margins : centre tail-feathers entirely black, the rest 

 black, edged with sandy buff ; the inner webs white interiorly ; 

 crown of head black, separated from the hind neck by a narrow 

 nuchal collar of white ; lores and eyelid as well as the feathers at 

 base of the lower mandible black ; ear-coverts, cheeks, sides of neck, 

 and entire under surface of body pure white, with a large patch of 

 greenish black at the sides of the upper breast ; a small black spot 

 on the chin ; a few dusky streaks on the flanks ; thighs, under tail- 

 coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillaries white ; the coverts near 

 the edge of the wing blackish, edged with white ; quills below black, 

 white along the inner web : " bill red ; feet light reddish brown ; 

 iris dark brown" (C. J. Andersson). Total length 10*2 inches, cul- 

 men 0'4, wing 2-85, tail 1"9, centre feathers 7*3, tarsus 0-7. 



In some specimens the black spot on the chin is larger than in. 

 others, and the black patch on the sides of the upper breast forms a 

 half-crescent on the latter. The spot on the chin varies in size, and 

 is sometimes absent altogether ; it may be that it is only assumed in 

 the height of the breeding- season ; certainly it is not peculiar to the 

 birds of any one locality. The amount of white on the inner greater 

 coverts and the tail-feathers also varies considerably. 



Adult fenidle. Different from the male. General colour above 

 tawny buff, streaked everywhere with black down the centre of the 

 feathers : the rump more uniform, but the upper tail-coverts streaked 

 like the back, the long ones brown with sandy-buff edges and black 

 centres ; lesser and median wing-coverts black, broadly margined 

 with sandy buff; greater coverts black, edged with tawny or sandy 

 buff; bastard-wing and primary-coverts black; quills blackish, 

 edged with ashy, the inner secondaries broadly margined with 

 tawny buff; tail-feathers dusky, edged with whitish, the outer ones 

 broadly white towards the end of the inner web ; crown of head 

 uniform tawny in the centre, with a broad lateral band of black, 

 followed by a broad tawny eyebrow; lores and eyelid tawny buff; 

 ear-coverts black along the upper part in the form of a broad streak, 

 tawny buff on the lower part like the feathers below the eye and 

 fore part of cheeks ; a broad streak of black along the hinder cheeks ; 

 throat white, more or less marked with tawny buff ; fore neck, chest, 

 and upper breast uniform tawny buff, with a few distinct streaks of 



