THE PIN-TAILED WHVDAH. 267 



THE fPIN-TAILED WHYDAH. 



Vidua principalis, LINN. 



THIS extremely excitable, and active little bird, is frequently 

 imported; and may almost always be obtained either in or out of 

 colour. According to Dr. Sharpe, its habitat is " from Senegambia, 

 along the whole western coast, to Dauiara and Great Namaqua Land, 

 and extending along the Congo to the White Nile district. Throughout 

 North-eastern Africa, as high as 1 7 N. lat. ; also throughout the whole 

 of the Zanzibar and Masai countries, as far inland as Lake Tanganyika, 

 and south to Mosambique and the Zambesi ; thence south into the 

 eastern Cape Colony, as far west as the Knysna district. It probably 

 occurs in all the intervening countries of Africa." Mr. Abrahams, 

 however, believes that there are two distinct races, and that the Southern 

 form not only differs from the Western in size and colouring, but also 

 in its capacity for replacing its tail, when lost, and in the fact that it 

 retains its breeding plumage longer. 



My male bird was a Southern example ; but, as it never lost its 

 tail during the breeding season, I was unable to confirm this statement 

 of Mr. Abrahams': nevertheless, it appears that the two cannot be 

 separated as species, as we shall presently see. I do not know whence 

 my females were received. 



The adult male, in colour, has the top of the head, sometimes the 

 chin, the back, a short band extending forwards on each side on to the 

 chest, and the tail greenish-black ; wings black, with the lesser and 

 median coverts white, forming a broad band ; greater coverts edged 

 with buff; the throat, a narrow collar running over the back of the 

 neck, the breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, white. Length, 

 exclusive of longer tail-feathers, 4f inches ; with tail-feathers varying 

 in length, according to age. Beak coral-red ; legs reddish-brown ; iris 

 dark brown. 



The female above is mottled brown and black, the top of the head 

 is brown, with darker dots, traversed by six blackish longitudinal stripes, 

 region of the eye brown ; under parts whitish, stained with tawny on 

 the flanks, with a few blackish lines ; quills above blackish, with greyish 



