84 Mr. C. F. M. Swjnnerton on 



quills relatively few have grown, and when Biddy is so 

 inconsiderate as to fly, he has to be content to carefully mark 

 her down and race hard on foot to rejoin her. 



The names may prove wrong, Biddy was till quite 

 recently far rustier, more " decomposed," and more shaggy 

 in plumage than Pat, and the bare skin of her throat did 

 not turn red till nearly a year later — in fact, is not completely 

 red now. This, with Pat's glossy black plumage, his brilliant 

 red throat, and his courtly manner to her, made me suppose 

 that he was a male and Biddy a female. But at this late 

 hour " he " has most inconsiderately developed a fair amount 

 of blue on the throat (from the corners of the bill down- 

 wards), while " she '^ is certainly the larger and slightly 

 tlie broader-casqued. Nevertheless to me Pat is likely to 

 continue to be " he " and Biddy the lady till either " he " 

 lays an egg or that evil day comes when I shall be forced 

 to tell the truth on labels tied to their respective legs I 



The main difference in plumage now is that Biddy has 

 still got longer feathers on the crown and nape and tends to 

 hold them raised, those of the centre of the crown in par- 

 ticular sometimes forming quite a crest. Pat has shorter 

 feathers, and keeps them well and glossily " brushed down.'' 

 The far greater difference that existed till relatively lately 

 was conceivably in part a matter of age. Senhor Sacaduro 

 himself believed them both to be about a year old when he 

 gave them to me, and it did not strike me to enquire closely 

 as to their respective size and appearance when he obtained 

 them. 



In character they differ still more widely. Mr. W. L. 

 Sclater's description of his tame individual of the same 

 species (' Fauna of S. Africa,' vol. iii. p. lOG) fits Pat : — 

 " A charming and delightful pet ; it is very sociable, and 

 loves to come and squat close to one and be caressed . . . 

 and when given" (or finding) "a specially dainty morsel, 

 will take it in its beak and come with wings uplifted and 

 wattle })uffed out and show it to its master'" — or to Biddy. 

 Biddy, on the other hand, is indep(;ndent almost to nujrose- 

 ness, does not display her captures, is a more diligent — and 



