THE SHAFT-TAILED WHIDAH BIED. 



457 



save that its nest is ingeniously woven 

 from vegetable fibres, said to be wholly 

 those of cotton down, and is divided into 

 two compartments, one being for the use 

 of the female and her eggs or young, 

 and the other as a seat for the male 

 whereon he may perch himself to sing 

 to his family. 



Although not very brilliant in hue, 

 the Paradise AVliidah Bird is very beauti- 

 fully clothed with softly tinted and 

 gracefully shaped plumage. The general 

 colour of the adult male bird in his full 

 dress is very deep brown-black, the 

 former tint prevailing on the wings and 

 tail, and the latter on the back. The 

 head, chin, and throat are also black, 

 and a line of the same colour starts from 

 the chin down the centre of the breast. 

 Eound the neck runs a collar of rich 

 ruddy brown, which edges the black" 

 line down the breast, and softly melts 

 into the pale buff of the abdomen and 

 under portions of the body. The tail 

 of this bird is most singularly formed. 

 Both webs of the two central feathers 

 are extremely broad for about three 

 inches, and then suddenly disappear, 

 leaving the bare slender shaft to project 

 for two or three inches. The two next 

 feathers are equally elongated, and rathei" 

 broadly webbed, being nearly three quar- 

 ters of an inch in width. They are often 

 more than eleven inches long, and sweep 

 in a graceful curve from the insertion of 

 their quills to the extremity of their 

 points. All the feathers of the tail are 

 set vertically, so that the profile is more 

 striking than the fuUview. 



The Broad-shafted Whidah Bird is 

 about the size of a sparrow, measuring 

 between five and six inches exclusive of 

 the elongated taU-feathers. After the 

 breeding season, the beautiful plumes 

 fall out, and the whole colouring of the 

 bird is changed from the deep black 

 and orange into rusty brown and dull 

 white. 



Theee are many species of these 

 pretty little creatures, all being remark- 

 able for some peculiarity in their form 

 or colouring. Space will not permit us 

 to engrave more than one other species, 

 the Shaft-tailed Whidah Bied. 



This exquisite bird is found along the 

 African coasts, and is in great favour in 



SHAFT-TAILED WHIDAH BIRD.— Vidua rcgia. 



