J72 



BROAD-SHAFTED WHIDAH-FINCH. 



Vidua paradisea, CUVIER. 

 PLATE XI. 



Black ; body beneath, fulvous ; nape, sides of the throat amd 

 breast, rufous-orange; two middle tail-feathers (in the 

 male), short, broad, and spatulate, terminating in long fila- 

 ments. 



Emberiza paradisea, Linn.Auctorum. Grande Veuve d' Angola, 

 Planch. Eid. 194; Edwards, 86 Whidah Buntling of au- 

 thors, Gen. Zool. 418. 



OF all the genera composing the family of "Weavers, 

 this is the most striking. It is composed of yery 

 small birds, mostly not larger than canaries. The 

 males, during the breeding season, are decorated 

 with exceedingly long tail-feathers, often four times 

 the length of the bird itself, and which, however 

 ornamental, must, from their disproportionate size, 

 rather impede the action of flight. Little or no- 

 thing is known of the habits and manners of the 

 Whidah Finches in a state of nature, but they 

 have always been among the most favourite cage- 

 birds ; and although not very frequent in the houses 

 and aviaries of this country, they are common in 

 those of France and other parts of the continent. 

 Numbers of these, and of the other pretty little 



