VIDUA AXILLARIS. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 

 Length from tlio tip of tlie bill to the 



end of the tail* 6 



of the bill from the angle of the 



mouth 



of the wings when folded 3 







7 

 Oi 



Inches. Lines. 



Length of the tail 2 6 



of the tarsus 1 



of the hinder toe 5 



of the middle toe 9 



of the outer toe 6 



Nothing is known of the female, — the probabilities are, siie is of a 

 brownish colour, and without the gay coloured epaulets so conspicuous in the 

 male. 



There is reason to believe this species of widow bird occurs but rarely in South Africa. The 

 individual which our figure represents, was obtained upon the south-east coast, between seven 

 and eight hundred miles to the eastward of Cape Town, and at the time it was shot, it was 

 perched upon rushes growing out of some marshy ground in Caffreland. 



South Africa furnishes us with a number of birds yet referred to this Genvs, but it appears to 

 me very doubtful if all of them will continue to be classed together. Those of the Cape admit 

 readily of being divided into two sections, — indicated by the character of the plumage and habits 

 of the species. The species of the first section have the summer feathers, in the males, soft and 

 velvety, wliich is not the case in those of the other section ; the former resort to marshy grounds, 

 and feed and build their nests among reeds, or long rushes, — the latter principally frequent the 

 vicinity of human dwellings, or occur in dry localities, thinly covered with wood, and when driven 

 from grounds upon which they may be feeding, generally perch upon trees, or brushwood. 

 The species of the first section, besides, have the bill stronger in proportion, and more elongated, 

 than the species of the second. 



\st Section. 

 Vidua longicauda, Cuv. 

 Vidua lenocinia. Lesson. 

 Vidua axillaris, Smith. 



2nd Section. 

 Vidua regia, Cuv. 

 Vidua Serena, Cuv. 

 Vidua superciliosa, Cuv. 



* The tail in t/io state in which it existed in the specimen figured. 



