THE RED-COLLARED WHVDAH. 279 



In body, this Whydah is about equal in size to our Chaffinch ; 

 but, when in colour, the length of the tail in the male makes 

 it appear much larger : its colouring then is jet black, with the 

 exception of a broad half collar of vermilion, or sometimes orange, 

 across the back of the throat ; the feathers of the thighs, and under 

 tail-coverts, have their edges striped with grey. Length, including 

 tail, 12 inches; beak black; legs dark grey-brown; eyes bright brown. 



When out of colour, buff -whitish with black centres to the 

 feathers, the under parts white, slightly stained with buff; the throat 

 slightly tinged with vermilion ; the wing feathers black, with whitish 

 edges ; tail black. 



The female is similar to the male when out of colour, but the 

 vermilion is quite absent from the throat, which is pale buff, and the 

 wings and tail are less black. Length 4^ inches. 



In Angola the red half-collar is frequently absent, on which 

 account the black form has been distinguished by the name of 

 P. concolor ; but, as every gradation, from one type to the other, is 

 said by Dr. Cabanis, to exist in Angola, the black form can only be 

 regarded as a melanistic phase of the species. 



The Red-collared Whydah is very rarely imported; Mr. Abrahams 

 informed me, two or three years ago, that he had only once received 

 it ; Dr. Russ says that two examples were sent to him by Jamrach, 

 but they both died soon after they reached him, and since that time 

 various dealers have received them at long intervals, and for the most 

 part singly. Nevertheless, so beautiful a bird cannot always remain a 

 rarity in the bird-market, since it is known to be common in some 

 parts of Southern Africa : Mr. Fulljames, of Balham, had two 

 examples in 1895, and other examples have been obtained more 

 recently. 



Mr. Guillernard writes (Sharpe and Layard) : " Vidua ardens is 

 not uncommon on the rivers of the north-western Transvaal, and may 

 be met with even as low as Rustenberg. It is fond of haunting large 

 reed-beds, from which it does not seem to wander far ; indeed, it is so 

 shy that one is rarely able to get a shot at it. At a distance they 

 much resemble Chera procne, from which they are only to be distinguished 

 by their smaller size. In summer plumage the bill and feet are jet 

 black, and besides the tipping of the under tail-coverts with grey, 

 there is occasionally a grey feather or two about the head." 



" Captain Harford informs us, that in Natal they fly in flocks, five 

 or six males with about fifty females. This we also observed, when 

 we fell in with them, in the swampy grass lands and fields of Kaffir 



