138 Dr. E. Hopkinson—The Yellow-backed Whydah


I know now that the Gnnjnr birds were these Whydahs and

that the yellow always commences on the shoulders, the hack

colour coming very late. This year I was able to watch the

complete change from half-colour in June to full colour (in

most) by the end of July. A few, however, though obviously

nesting, were neither completely black nor yellow-backed even

in August.


About 1910 I had thirty-six of these birds, mostly cocks

in half colour. They were all in one cage, and had all been

caught in Kombo. T only got them a few days before sailing

for home (end of July). The luggage was loaded into a lighter

to go off to the steamer, the birds among them — a tornado,

the whole covered with a tarpaulin, so thoroughly that all the

live-stock was suffocated. A great catastrophe. I should have

liked to get home three dozen Yellow-backed Whydahs.


1918. These Whydahs are quite common in Kombo during the rains,

and odd ones may be seen all the year round. Nearly all the

males keep the yellow shoulders all the year round. On the

Cape road one sees them in full colour from the end of July

to about October. They never appear to like to stray far

from mangroves, and at the end of the dry season seem content

with brackish water for drinking, like our " Black Pigeons ".

In Niumi they also breed, but are certainly less common

there than in Kombo.


1921. Tubab Kolong. June 17. Caught one half-colour cock, and

saw a few others. Shoulders yellow, a few speckles of black

below and wing feathers dark. Brought him home. Now

(July 26) the throat is black and the black speckles are in-

increasing in size everywhere. The wildest bird of this kind

I have ever had.

So much for the wild life ; the remaining notes refer to


those. I have kept : —


1902. Brought five from Gambia, July, 1902. No. 1 was showing


a little yellow and had dark wings, the other four were quite off


colour. Turned info aviary with No. 5, the rest in cage indoors.


Aug. 12. The out-of-colour birds are getting a greenish-vellow



