VIDUA AXILLARIS.— Smith. 



AvEs. — Plate XVII. (Male.) 



V. nigra: Iniinororum partibus anterioribiis aiirantiis; alarum tectricibus axillisquo flavo-bniiineis ; nian- 



dibula siiperiore nigra, infcriorc albida ; pedibus rubro-brunneis. 

 LONGITUDO G line. 



Colour, &c. -Velvet-black; the anterior portion of shoulder orpiment 

 orange ; wing coverts intermediate between yellowish brown and reddish 

 orange, which is also the colour of the inner surface of the shoulders. 

 Primary and secondary c[iiill coverts black, their outer vanes delicately edged 

 with light yellowish brown ; quill and tail feathers black, with a greenish 

 gloss ; the outer vanes of most of the secondary and tertiary quill feathers 

 towards their points narrowly edged with pale wood-brown, and several of 

 the tertiaries are also tipt with the same colour. L^pper mandible black ; 

 lower, bluish white ; legs, toes, and claws dark reddish brown. 



Form, kc. — Bill strong, conical, and pointed, its sides slightly flattened ; 

 the under mandible larger than the upper. Wings when folded reach about 

 an inch and a half beyond the base of the tail ; the first quill feather 

 rudimentary, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth equal in length, and the 

 longest, the second, third, and seventh rather shorter. Tail feathers unequal 

 as to length, being in our specimen in different stages of growth, and in 

 progress to form a long tail, which the males of this species evidently possess 

 during the summer season. Tarsi strong, the division between the plates, in 

 front, distinctly marked ; toes strong, claws long, pointed, and slightly 

 curved, — the claw of the hinder toe largest, and its form strongly indicating 

 the office it is required to perform in assisting the bird in supporting itself on 

 reeds, rushes, &c., upon which it usually perches. The inner and outer toes 

 of equal length. 



