120 PLOCEID^B AMADINA 



and frequently associating with other ground-feeding birds. When 

 disturbed it flies at once to the shelter of the nearest bush or 

 tree with a twittering note, and remains hidden until the danger 

 is past. The nest, a large and rambling domed structure with 

 a side entrance, resembles that of a sparrow. It is constructed 

 of dry grass, twigs and rootlets with a lining of cotton, wool and 

 feathers, and is usually placed in a bush or tree, and frequently 

 several close together, occasionally under the eaves of a house. 

 On the Orange Eiver the eggs are laid in March. They are pure 

 white, rather elongated and tapering towards the smaller end, and 

 measure 0-83 x 0-58. 



Subfamily III. VIDUIN^E. 



In the Viduincz, as in the Estrildince, the first primary is minute 

 in size, attenuated towards the end and sickle-shaped. In the 

 former, however, but not in the latter, the mantle is striped in some 

 stage of plumage, some of the inner wing-feathers are usually 

 lanceolate and the tail-feathers are generally obtusely pointed. The 

 hind claw is longer, less curved and more slender. Moreover, the 

 males in the breeding season assume a highly differentiated and 

 decorative plumage totally unlike their winter garb, which resem- 

 bles that of the females in being of some unobtrusive shades of 

 brown. The change to the breeding-dress is partly by a moult, but 

 chiefly by a change of colour in the existing feathers. The males 

 of many species are in summer decorated with long tails, neck- 

 frills, elongated and erectile feathers on the lower back, in addition 

 to gaudy colours. 



All the species of the three genera, Urobrachya, Coliopasser and 

 Vidua, commonly known as Widow, or Whydah Birds, are poly- 

 gamous, the hens outnumbering the cocks in the proportion of from 

 ten to fifty to one. The Viduina are confined to Africa. They all 

 have a somewhat indifferent song of a few harsh notes. They 

 feed chiefly on grass and other seeds, but occasionally on insects. 

 The majority build domed nests, woven out of grass and suspended 

 from the stems of grass or reeds, and lay coloured eggs ; the Hypo- 

 cherce, however, build their nests in holes of buildings and lay 

 pure white eggs. 



