PLOCEID^ VIDUA 149 



Adult male in ivinter. Closely resembles the female, but is a 

 little larger. 



Distribution. From Colesberg, in Cape Colony, to the Zambesi 

 Biver, Damara Land and Benguela. From the Vaal Biver to the 

 Zambesi (Holub). By no means uncommon in Damara Land and 

 the adjacent parts during the wet season (Andersson) ; fairly abun- 

 dant near Kanye, in the Matabili country ; several seen chasing 

 each other about near Selenia Pan (Ayres) ; not uncommon at 

 Tati (Frank Gates) ; once met with in Benguela (Anchieta). 



.Habits. I have only had limited opportunities of observing this 

 species in Natal, where I have found it frequenting much the same 

 localities as the commoner Vidua paradisea, grassy plains and 

 marshy ground interspersed with groves of trees or bushes. It is 

 polygamous, each male in spring being accompanied by from ten to 

 twenty females. At this season the beautiful cocks are very 

 pugnacious and are constantly fighting and chasing one another, 

 their long tails in no means incommoding their flight, as is the case 

 with Vidua paradisea. They are, indeed, of much more active 

 habits than are the latter birds. Their call-note is a sharp chirp, 

 occasionally uttered, but the cocks, in moments of excitement, 

 indulge in a short and rather feeble song. They feed almost entirely 

 on grass seeds. Although I have never found a nest, I have every 

 reason to suppose, from having on several occasions carefully 

 watched the birds, 'that each female builds a separate one in the 

 long grass, the cock not interfering, beyond keeping watch and 

 warning the hens by his alarm-call, should danger approach. 



79. Yidua paradisea. Paradise Widow Bird. 



Emberiza paradisea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 312 (1776). 



Vidua paradisea, Cuvier, Eegne Anim. i, p. 389, note (1817) ; Kirk, 



Ibis, 1864, p. 332 ; Giirney in Anderssorts B. Damara Land, p. 181 



(1872) ; Barratt, Ibis, 1876, p. 207 ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 207 ; id. 



Ibis, 1886, p. 342 ; 1888, p. 302 ; id. B. Afr. i, p. 23 (1896). 

 Steganura paradisea, Bp. Conspec. i, p. 449 (1850) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. 



xiii, p. 211 (1890) ; Butler, Foreign Finches in captivity, p. 282, 



pi. $ and ? (1894). 

 Vidua verreauxi, Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afri. pp. 452, 848 (1884) ; 



Ayres, Ibis, 1885, p. 345. 

 Steganura verreauxii, Holub and Pelzeln, Orn. Siidafr. p. 123 (1882). 



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