RED-BILLED WHIDAH. 177 



and also the black spot on the chin ; this latter 

 character, however, does not exist in another speci- 

 men we possess, of uncertain locality, hut which, 

 in every other respect, minutely agrees with that 

 from Senegal. Are they varieties, or different sexes, 

 or from different localities ? 



The Red-billed Whidah, in size, is less than the 

 V. paradisea, and is altogether an aberrant species 

 of this small group. The bill is shorter, thicker, 

 and broader at the top, so as to resemble that of the 

 succeeding genus, Amadina. The four middle tail- 

 feathers are greatly elongated ; two are convex, and 

 two (one within the other) are concave, so that 

 when all four are closed, they form a sort of cylin- 

 der ; and but for their extremities, appear at first 

 sight to be all one. The ordinary tail -feathers, four 

 on each side, are slightly rounded. The tertials, or 

 at least one of them, is as long as the primaries. 



In the adult, the general colour is deep glossy blue- 

 black ; this colour covers the crown and the back, 

 between which is a pure white collar; the wings 

 and scapulars are the same ; the lower part of the 

 back and margin of the tail-covers are white. A 

 large spot of pure white nearly spreads over all the 

 wing-covers. The ears, sides of the head, and all 

 the under parts are pure white, but the black co- 

 lour of the back advances on the sides of the breast, 

 so as to form a half collar, open in front. The 

 tail-feathers externally are black, but internally, 

 white ; this latter colour predominating on the outer- 

 most feathers. In the Senegal specimen, as before 



M 



