Whydalis. 261 



fonniiig the interior; the loose ends, ])eing- brought forward 



" in a bunch over the top, act as a lonj^- fuzzy canopy to ward 



off the sun and rain. One specimen, which shows signs of 



" inexperience or haste in its construction, practically lacks 



' this canopy, and has a small aditional entrance in the side. 



The eggs are three in number and glossy; they vary from 



dull bluish white to pale greenish blue, spotted, blotched 



" and mottled all over with ashy grey and brown of different 



shades, and much resemble a certain type' of egg of the 



English Tree-Sparrow." 



Mr. Shore Baily in the account he gives of his Whydahs' 

 successful breeding says that the two eggs of the first clutch 

 were white and rather large, but those of a second, pale bluish 

 green thickly mottled with brown. This article (B.N. 1915 p. 239) 

 besides an excellent plain plate of the male Red-collared Whydah 

 is also illustrated with some photos of the nest and eggs. In 

 the following year he narrates his success in breeding the hybrid 

 already mentioned and gives several more most interesting 

 photos from the aviary. 



ColiostnttliHs tropica. Reichenow. 1904. H.L. v. 410. 

 Coliuspasser ardens tropica (Van Someren. Ibis. 1916. 417). 



Range. E. Africa (Zambesi northwards). S.W. Africa 

 (Angola). 



Of this race of the Red-collared Whydah Mr. van Som- 

 eren writes in the paper just mentioned, that they " frequent the 

 grass and swamp country and are fairly common. (He is speak- 

 ing of the Uganda). They nest in the tall rank grass. The eggs, 

 from two to three in number, are of a greenish ground with 

 ash-brown spots and blotches." He saw and obtained specimens 

 of both forms, red and yellow-collared, another instance of the 

 individual variation already mentioned as is often occurring in 

 the Whydahs. 



^ 



RED-NAPED WHYDAH. 



CoIiostrutJuts laticanda. H.L. v. 411. 



Synonomy. 



I 



Crimson-naped Whydah; Crimson-ringed Whydah. 



Broad-tailed Whydah; Broad-tailed Widow-bird. 



