28 VIDUA PARADISEA 
Sir John Kirk found the species in full plumage, in January 
and February, frequenting the grassy plains of the Zambesi and 
Shiré Rivers. In this part of Africa, according to Mr. Boyd 
Alexander, it is not nearly so common as JV. serena. In Nyasa- 
land it is known to the natives as the ‘‘ Namdumbo,” and 
specimens have been collected at Zomba, Fort Lister, Songue, 
Namaramba, Ntondwe, Chiradzulu, Mpimbi and Chanda, 
Throughout Eastern Africa it is abundant, and generally. to 
be met with in small flocks of from ten to twenty, consisting 
of a single male and his many wives, often feeding on the 
ground in company with other species of small Weavers. In 
Ugogo, according to Dr. Pruen, their native name is ‘ Tumbwe.” 
In the Teita district Hildebrandt found the cocks in full 
plumage from February to July, accompanied by many hens 
and distinguished in the Kikamba language as “ Mal-nguru” 
on account of their long tails. Mr. Jackson met with the 
species plentifully distributed along the coast and inland from 
Kilimanjaro to Lake Baringo. 
In Somaliland, Fischer procured the species at Barawa, Mr. 
F. Gillett others at Wachali, and Mr. Hawker found it plentiful 
at Hargeisa and Arabsiyo. 
From Central Africa there are in the British Museum a full- 
plumaged male obtained in Uganda by Dr. McCarthy Morrogh, 
and several in winter plumage from Kaka and Ed Duem on 
the White Nile. Regarding these latter Mr. Hawker, who 
collected them, remarks that the species was not common and 
he never saw any with the long tail-feathers; this was in 
April and May. 
Mr. A. L. Butler writes to me from Khartoum: “In June 
I found them tolerably plentiful in the thorn bushes north of 
the Rahat River (a tributary of the Blue Nile); the males were 
all beginning to assume breeding plumage, but none at that 
date had the long tails. I saw a male in full breeding plumage 
