188 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



Genus VIDUA, Cuvier. 

 Bill more or less lengthened, conic, laterally compressed, 

 with the culmen much arched, or nearly straight from the 

 base to the tip, and advancing on the forehead in a 

 point; the lateral margins sinuated or straight, and the 

 gonys lengthened and ascending ; the nostrils basal, lateral, 

 mostly hidden by the frontal feathers, and rounded ; wings 

 moderate, with the first quill spurious, the second nearly as 

 long as the third, the third, fourth, and fifth nearh^ equal, and 

 longest ; tuil varying in length ; with some of the coverts, and 

 tail-feathers considerably lengthened, and of various forms ; 

 tarsi slender, shorter than the middle toe, covered in 

 front with conspicuously-divided scales ; toes long and slen- 

 der, the lateral ones nearly equal, the hind toe as long as 

 the inner, aijd all armed with long claws. 



374. Vidua Regia. (L.) Hartiaub, Om. w. Af., 



p. 136; Cuv., Vol. 2, p. 149; Shaw., Vol. IX, PI. 

 2, p. 420 ; Shaft-tailed Bunting ; Emberiza Regia, L.; 

 Vidua Riparia Africana, Briss., Orn., Vol, 3, p. 129. 



Sides of head, under parts of bod}', and round the neck, 

 rufous ; hind part of neck spotted with black ; plumage 

 above, lower part of thighs, and vent, black ; four middle 

 tail-feathers nearly 10" long, and webbed only for about two 

 inches at the end, the rest simple shafts ; other feathers, 

 e-eu, short, and black ; bill and legs red. Female brown, 

 and without the long tail-feathers. Length, 5" ; tail (with- 

 out long feathers), 2"; wing, 2" 10"'. 



South. Africa teste Hartiaub, loc. cit.— I have received it from 

 Damaraland only. 



375. Vidua Principalis. (Linn.) Cuv., VoLiX; 



PI. 2, p. 423 ; Emberiza Principalis, Vieil., Ois Chant., 

 t. 36 ; Em. Vidua, L. ; Em. Serena, L. ; V. Minor 

 et Major, Briss. ; V. A ngolensis, Briss., Or^. App., p. 

 80 ; V. Erythrorhyncha, Swain., B. of W. Af, Vol. 

 XI, p. 176 ; Koning-Roodehec of the Colonists, lit. 

 King of the Pted-bills. 



9 — General colour, deep glossy black : this colour covers 

 the crown and the back ; collar pure white ; wings and scapu- 

 lars the same ; lower parts of back and rump, white ; on the 

 wings a large patch of white ; ears, side of head, and under 



