122



Mr. Reginald Phillipps,



extending much lower towards vent ; more pure on flanks,

female having good deal brown ; brown on female’s neck

extends farther across throat, threatening to connect; eye

of male perhaps more red, and larger ; the bills lilac with black

tips and edges ; under side of tail looks light drab rather than

blue; male distinctly larger; on primary coverts of female,

when wings closed, several dark brown washes, not appearing

on male: brown abdomen of male (only a) narrow point

running (forward) into blue, female’s being much broader.”


The birds have since moulted ; and on 4th January, 1903,

I carefully examined the under parts as they were sitting

side by side on a perch close to and about on a level with my

face, the light shining well on their breasts. The brown (light

drab) on the abdomen and breast of the female was fully three

times as broad as the brown on the male, and extends distinctly

higher up towards the throat. In this respect, at least, the

statements made that the sexes are alike are wanting in

accuracy.


Tike the Museum Catalogue, Stark declares the only

difference between the two species to be the crimson ear-coverts

of the male Cordon. But the following differences would seem

to be not entirely apocryphal :—Bod}' of bill of Blue Breast

lilac instead of crimson ; iris reddish-hazel instead of yellowish ;

legs and feet pale or pale brown instead of flesh-coloured

(Butler) or reddish (Catalogue). Perhaps the Cordon may be

the smaller bird.


The song of the Blue-breasted Waxbill, judging by my

own male (the female is said to sing, but I have not heard mine

do so), although practically the same as that of the Cordon, is

sweeter and better sustained, and the love dance of my male is

in a marked degree more boisterous; he jumps into the air

higher, and thumps down on his perch with a noise I have never

noticed in any male of the kindred species.


The Cordon is very widely distributed across Africa, but

the range of our present subject seems to be limited more or

less to the south-eastern parts of that continent.



