THE WIDOW FINCH. 



ViVUA PARADISMA. CuV. 



The present bird affords a curious example of the 

 uiauner in which tolerably expressive names are some- 

 times given to animals by mere accident. Edwards, 

 the first modern writer by wdiom it was figured and 

 described, states that he was mformed by a gentleman 

 lately arrived from Lisbon, that " the Portuguese call 

 this bird the Widow, from its colour and long train." 

 On this hint apparently Bi'isson constructed the French 

 name of Veuve and the Latin name of Vidua, which 

 have since been translated into all the languages of 

 Europe, and now serve in their various modifications to 

 designate this bird wherever it is known. The French 

 naturalist had however overlooked the fact that Ed- 

 w'ards had himself corrected his mistake, for such it 

 was, in the Additions given at the end of his work, in 

 the following terms. " In my description of this bird 



x2 



