24 VIDUA FISCHERI 
Adult female. Above mottled, blackish brown, with broad buffy brown 
edges to the feathers ; forehead and crown pale rufous, with black stripes 
on the hinder part and shading into rufous buff on the sides of the head ; 
under parts white, shaded with sandy buff on the base of throat and sides 
of body; under surface of wings dusky brown, with whitish edges to the 
coverts. ‘ Bill red; iris and legs light brown.” Total length 4-5 inches, 
wing 2°6, tail 18. 9, 30.11.97. Arabsyo (Hawker). 
Male in winter. Similar in colouring to the female. ¢, 2.12. 97. 
Arabsyo (Hawker). 
Fischer’s Shaft-tailed Whydah inhabits Eastern Africa from 
Usegua to Shoa, between 6° 8. lat. and 11° N. lat. 
The most southern range known for the species is the 
Usegua country near Mount Kipumbui, where the species has 
been procured by Fischer, who discovered the type on the 
highlands of Motiom, which rise to the north-west of Kiliman- 
jaro, and he collected other specimens at Nguruman near 
Naiwasha Lake. In the British Museum there are two adult 
males from the Kilimanjaro district, collected by Mr. Jackson 
and Mr. Hunter. The former naturalist obtaining a good 
series of six specimens between Ndai and Kinani, April 2, 
1894; these he shot out of a small flock at a water-hole in 
the wilderness. Other flocks of V. serena and V. hypocherina 
were also present, but each species kept apart from the others. 
V. fischert was in full plumage and evidently breeding at this 
season, and he remarks that the female, as might have been 
expected, is very similar to the hen of /. serena, but has an 
almost uniform reddish brown head with no lateral black 
bands, and the soft parts are akin to those of the male: “ Bill 
dull pink, feet pale dusky pink, iris brown. The adult males 
having the iris brown, the feet bright coral red, and the bill 
dull coral red.” 
In Somaliland the species was first obtained by Révoil. 
Prince Ruspoli shot specimens at a water-hole to the south 
of the Ogodan district; Dr. Donaldson Smith met with it at 
