HO Dr. E. Hopkinson—Thc Yellow-backed Whydah


and yellow feathers, but the tail is still long, and only a few


brown feathers have so far appeared on the head and cheeks.

Mar. 13. Brown increasing rapidly ; now a big patch on each side


of chest.

Mar. 19. Quite half brown and looking most untidy, but tail


still long.

Mar. 31 . Browner. Now beginning to shed tail. Yellow, I think,


much the same. Lively and fit.

April 7. Turned into aviary. He is the only Whydah there.


Had there been others I do not think it would have been safe


to turn him out as he is very spiteful with other Whydahs, but


inoffensive to smaller birds.

April 17. Still in aviary. Nearly all brown; back brown, but


shoulders still yellow. All tail lost now ; there are now only


a few short feathers, the new tail.

May 13. Hardly more than a speck of yellow now showing on


each shoulder, but he has grown a new tail, a brown one. Is


now, I suppose, in complete out-of-colour plumage. Very fit.

Aug. 13. In nearly full colour again ; nearly all black, though


still a few brown feathers among the yellow on back.

Oct. 8. Still in aviary. Perfect condition. Have turned out one


of the other Whydahs ; they agree.

Oct. 24. Occasionally tremendous battles between the two


Whydahs, but apparently no harm done.


This morning this bird fell down in a fit (rigidity and stupor


and almost " light "). Brandy and castor-oil ; fire. Revived


and in the afternoon ate a spider.

Oct. 26. Dead. A similar attack to his first, but with a different


ending.


No. 2. 1903 to 1912

1903. Jan. 15. No increase in yellow, but has moulted his tail and


is growing another.

Mar. 13. Perfect condition, but no increase in colour. Tail still


short.

May 1 . Black appearing in specks ; old tail being shed and new


black feathers coming.



