FBINGILLIDiE. 189 



parts, pure white ; but the black colour of the back advances 

 on to the sides of breast, so as to form a half collar, open 

 in front ; tail-feathers externally black, internally white, 

 this latter colour predominantly on the outermost feathers; 

 four middle tail-feathers greatly elongated, two convex and 

 two (one within the other) concave. Bill, brilliant rose-red. 

 Length, 10" ; wing, 2" 9'" ; tail, 8". 



These birds are found in small flocks throughout the colony. The 

 male only assumes the long tail-feathers during the breeding season. 

 In the winter lie closely resembles the female, wbo is clad in a sober 

 livery of mottled brown, and black on the upper parts, whitish on the 

 centre of the belly, and rusty on the flanks ; on the head are six dark 

 black-brown stripes, divided by brown stripes, those which pass 

 through the eye immaculate, the others dotted with dark-brown. 



They feed on grass seeds, and are only to be found in open grassy 

 country ; they rarely perch on trees, though a pair in my aviary 

 always roost on the perches, the 9 having taken possession of the 

 highest in the whole cage. 



The 9 amuses me by the way in which she scratches on the sandy 

 cage-bottom. How she does it I cannot tell, her motions are so quick; 

 but she apparently springs forward and spurs backwards, and the 

 sand and seed fly in showers at each repetition of the manoeuvre. 

 I have frequently observed the hovering motion described by Mr. 

 Ayres (Ibis., Vol. 2, p. 213), but attributed it to a design of the 

 5 to take care of his long tail. 



Swainson's type specimen of V. Mrytlirorhyncha is in the Cambridge 

 Museum, and is certainly nothing more than than $ of our JPrinci- 

 palis ; the bill is now faded to the usual yellow assumed by all old 

 specimens. 



376. Vidua Axillaris, Sm. ; z. s. A., pi. 17. 



General colour, velvet-black ; shoulders reddish-orange ; 

 feathers of wings and tail black, with a greenish gloss, 

 narrowly edged with pale-brown. Length, 6" ; wing, 3'" ; 

 tail, 2" 6'". 



Dr. Smith procured but one specimen of this bird, the male here 

 described. When shot it was perched upon some bushes growing out 

 of some marshy ground in Eafirland. Mr. Gurney has received it 

 from Natal (Vide Ibis., Vol. 1860, p. 205). 



377. Vidua Albonotata, Cassln.; Proc. Acad. 

 Philad. 1841, p. 65 ; Urohrachya Albonotata, Hartl., 

 Orn. W. Af, p. 137. 



General colour, shining black ; shoulders yellow ; base of 

 the tail-feathers, white ; wing-feathers tipped with white. 

 Length, 6" 6'" ; wings, 3". 

 Natal (Verreaux)—nonvidi. 



