VIDUA PARADISEA 27 
Western Africa, and it has not been recorded from Cape Colony 
to the west of Kingwilliamstown, but Mr. Barratt met with 
it at the Diamond-fields near Kimberley. In Zululand the 
Messrs. Woodwards procured a series of adult males and two 
females at Hschowe and two others at the Black Umfolosi 
River, so that it would appear to be plentiful in that country. 
According to Stark: ‘‘ This species, nowhere very abundant in 
South Africa, is still not rare in some parts of Natal and the 
Eastern Transvaal, in rather open ‘bush-veldt,’ localities in 
which little oases of grass are more or less surrounded by 
thorny bushes. The handsome cock, in spring and summer, 
is fond of perching on a prominent bush, from which he takes 
short undulating flights, returning invariably to the same 
perch. Occasionally he will hover for a few seconds over the 
grass in which one of his little brown mates is hidden, for he 
has many, from ten to fifty or more. At short intervals he 
utters a flute-like note, and now and then a few bars of his 
love song. When at rest the long tail-feathers are allowed to 
hang down, but in flight they are carried horizontally. Like 
the other Widow-birds, this species feeds almost entirely on 
grass seeds. The change of plumage, from winter to spring 
livery, in the males is completed in about six weeks.” Mr. T. 
Ayres remarks: ‘“ During the breeding season, when the won- 
derful tail of the cock bird is fully developed, he will some- 
times rise until nearly out of sight, when he suddenly descends 
with much velocity, and, if approached, makes off with ease 
and swiftness.” He further writes in 1885: ‘ This handsome 
Vidua is becoming much more plentiful amongst the Magalies- 
bergen than it used to be years back. Then it was scarcely 
known in the Rustenberg district, where it is now by no means 
uncommon. This species assumes its nuptial plumage later 
in the season than most of the family, not being in full dress 
till the latter end of December.” 
