60 EdiforlaJ. 



Stonham has the enviable faculty of goiny over a wide range 

 of information in terse, yet smootlily writli'ii sentences, giving 

 evidence on every page, not (inly of a full acquaintance with the 

 literature of his suliject, hut also of much loving and single-hearted 

 research at lii'st hand, especially with I'egard to the halhts of tlie 

 birds. 



The only fault in c jiinection with f.liis l)o:)k is the unconscion- 

 able delay in tiie appearance of the part-;. The pi-osi)ectus issued 

 to th? subscribers stated that the work would sec completion in 

 about two years. That was early in liiOo, but at the rate which 

 has latterly obtained, we may onl.v hope to see the last of three 

 remaining parts issued some time in 1912! 



Editorial. 



Foreign Birds: In reply to several enquiries we beg 

 to state that this series will be resumed in March issue. 



Hipped Winu: Mr. Ciray kindly promises to give full 

 details with diagrams at as early a date as possible. 



.Jai'kson's Wiiydah (L)epra)ioplcctns jacksoni) : During 

 a recent visit to the Zoo with a friend. 1 liad an opportunity 

 of oliserving this line and rare species, and also of witnessing 

 their display. The male is black, save for some buff -brown 

 margins to the wings feathei's. The general appearance of 

 the 1/irds greatly resembles that of the Giant Whydah (Chcra 

 procnc), I'Ut the tail is not so long, and the feathers jare 

 distinctly curved longitudinally. The female 'is a brown bird, 

 lighter on the surface, with very sharply defined dark brown 

 striations, legulariy di.^trilu.ed all over the body; eye-streaks 

 above and below the eye whirl h. When displaying, the wings 

 are dropped, the piunuigc, jiariicularly that of the head, shaken 

 loose, the back appearing to be quite incurved and the head 

 and neck stretched upwards, almost at right angles to the 

 body, and the feathers of the tail carried in the form of a 

 crescent — the whole attitude is somewhat stiff and ludicrous, 

 accompanied as it is by a sort of prancing dance. Though 

 not so showy as some of its confreres, it is nevertheless a 

 very handsome and inteiesting species. 



11 o luire so, niainj claims upon our space this issue, that 

 the ustubl notes under this tieading, must be Jheld over till March. 



