NOTABLE SOUTH AFRICAN BIRDS 57 



The season of rains, the period of South African 

 summer — from December to March — always brings 

 a great accession of bird life to the south of the great 

 continent. This is the time to observe habits, and 

 procure and identify species. During this season 

 the breeding plumage is assumed, and the garb of 

 many of the smaller birds wonderfully enlivened. 

 Some of the changes are of quite an extraordinary 

 nature. One remarkable example may perhaps 

 suffice. The male of the orange-shouldered bunting 

 (Chcra ;pTogne) suddenly assumes, for the breeding 

 season, a tail of tremendous length. This long 

 black sweeping tail, combined with the bird's jet- 

 black body plumage, set off by velvety shoulder- 

 knots of intense scarlet (or, in the young male, rich 

 orange), give a most striking appearance to this bird. 

 So long and so heavy are the tail-feathers that the 

 birds can scarcely fly ; they rise from the grass, 

 struggle with clumsy, laboured flight for a short 

 while, and then go down again. In very wet 

 weather they are quite helpless. I have seen these 

 birds very abundantly in South Bechuanaland, and 

 never failed to be amused by the ludicrous helpless- 

 ness produced by this assumption of courting 

 finery. Others among the great family of Fringillidm, 

 or finches, notably some of the weaver-birds, widow- 

 birds, and waxbills, assume in the males a gaudier 

 colouring, and often greatly increased tail plumage, 



