Ploceidse of the Ethiopian Region. 339 



Loxigilla melas, Verr. MS., fide Bp. loc. cit. 



Vidua ultramarina, Licht. Nomencl. 1854, p. 49. 



Hypochera eenea, Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, p. 115, Senegal 

 (green gloss). 



Hypochera chalybeata, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. 1871, p. 64. 



Hypochera nigerrima, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 133, An- 

 gola (purple gloss). 



Hypochera purpurascens, Reichen. J. f. O. 1883, p. 221, 

 Usagua, Lindi (purple gloss). 



Hab. The whole of Africa south from about 16° N. lat. 



a. February, b. April, Natal {Shelley Mus.). 



15. Vidua. ™ 



Type. 



1800. Fic?M«, Cuv. Anat. Comp. Table Ois. . V. principalis. 

 1850. Videstrelda, Lafresn. Rev. et Mag. 



Zool. 1850, p. 325 V. regia. 



1850. Steganura, Reichb. Syst. Nat. pi. 76 . V. paradisea. 



1850. Tetrcp.nura, Reichb. torn. cit. pi. 78 . . V. regia. 

 1882. Linura, Reichb. Orn. Centralbl. 1882, 



p. 91 . . V. fischeri. 



The genus Vidua appears to me to differ from Hypochera 

 only in having the two or four central tail-feathers much 

 elongated. If I divided the genus Vidua, I should require 

 five genera for the reception of the six species. 



Vidua hypocherina and V. nitens, of which I have examined 

 the types, are identical. 



V. principalis was divided by Dr. Hartlaub into two 

 species, one with the chin white, and the other with it black ; 

 but every intermediate form, from one black feather to twenty 

 or more on the chin, I have met with. 



V. superciliosa is, only known to me by the description 

 and fine illustration given by Vieillot from a specimen in 

 Temminck's collection. This species has, I believe, never 

 since been met with. It is the only Vidua ever described 

 with only two elongated tail-feathers, and these are white 

 and apparently perfectly similar to those of a Flycatcher 

 of the genus Tchitrea. The type is not in the Paris Museum, 



