228 THE WHIDAH BUNTING. 



white ; though the vent is lighter in colour, and the breast and 

 sides are covered with fine reddish brown lines. The back of 

 the neck is reddish grey, and the back is covered with oval 

 specks, of reddish grey and black. 



In the aviary, the top of the head in the male becomes much 

 lighter, and resembles that of the female, as above described. 

 The lower part of the neck also changes to whitish grey, longi- 

 tudinally spotted with blackish brown. 



Observations. The favourite haunts of this bird are the re- 

 cesses of thick bushy groves, among the mountains. It is a 

 bird of passage, which quits us in November, and returns in 

 April. It is not uncommon in Thuringia, e. specially about the 

 period of migration ; though formerly it was supposed to in- 

 habit Eussia only. In a wild state it feeds upon insects, and 

 various kinds of grass-seed ; and when confined, may be treated 

 like the Eeed Bunting ; to which bird it also bears a strong 

 resemblance in its song, which is not loud, but pleasant ; and 

 it may be caught in the same manner. Its call is Se ! se ! 



(B.) FOREIGN BUNTINGS. 

 98. THE WHIDAH BUNTING. 



Emberiza Paradisea, Liy. Veuve a Collier d'Or, BUF. Der Paradiesam- 

 mer, BECH. 



Description. This rare and beautiful bird, called the Widow, 

 on account of its colour (or, according to others, from Whidah, 

 an African fortress, in the neighbourhood of which it is com- 

 mon), is about the size of a Linnet ; its length to the lateral 

 tail-feathers is five inches and a half. The beak is lead-co- 

 loured, the iris chestnut, the feet flesh-coloured. The head, 

 chin, front of the neck, back, wings, and tail are black. The 

 back of the neck is light orange ; the breast, the upper part of 

 the belly, and the thighs, white; the vent black. The two 

 centre tail-feathers are four inches long, very broad, and ending 

 in a long thread ; the two next are thirteen inches long, very 

 broad in the middle, but narrower at the end, and somewhat 

 pointed. From the middle of this shaft rises another long 

 filament. The other tail-feathers are only two inches and a 

 quarter in length j the two nearest the centre are somewhat 



