400 Canaries and Cage-Birds. 



the other hand, they will not breed readily in captivity ; very little is known of their 

 habits in their wild state, and their great beauty is only periodical. For six months 

 in the year, or more, the Whydah-birds are very common-looking, grey and brown, spotted 

 and streaked Finches, and only when their breeding season commences — about midsummer — 

 does the plumage assume the rich tints and extraordinary shape we so much admire. About 

 midwinter the moult begins, and about the time of year when bird shows take place every 

 Whydah-bird is again in what I might call undress ; the male birds look then as insignificant 

 as the females, and very much like a dark Linnet. 



To keep the Whydah-birds in perfect condition, a bath at frequent intervals is necessary, 

 for their desire to keep their plumage in faultless order is great, and whenever they cease to 

 care for the beauty of their long tails, it is a sure sign of ill-health. Open-air aviaries 

 would suit the Whydah-birds very well in summer and autumn ; but their moulting-time 

 falling into our winter months, a severe frost, or exposure to cold rain, would then 

 probably prove fatal. 



PARADISE WHYDAH-BIRD [Vidua faratUsca), West Africa. (Illiistrated ) 

 Vidua paradisea (Russ), Einberiza paradisea, Fringilla paradisea, Steganura paradisea, Stegannra sphmura. English dealers' 

 name — Paradise Whydah, Widah, or Widow bird. German name — "Paradies Widafink," " Paradies Wittweuvogel." 

 French name — "Veuve a Collier d'Or." 



If the reader will refer to the illustration he will agree with me that such a superb bird 

 ought not to be absent from any aviary, especially as the Paradise Whydah-bird is not costly, 

 not difficult to obtain, very harmless, and by no means delicate. Male and female are alike 

 when out of colour, that is, between January and midsummer, and then resemble a dark 

 Linnet. But when the time of year comes round which in their native country is the breeding 

 season of Whydah-birds, viz., about June or July, a marvellous change takes place in the 

 appearance of the cock-bird. The head and wings assume a more or less intense black colour, 

 a broad collar of rich brown ornaments the neck, the lower body becomes nearly white, and 

 with surprising rapidity four black tail-feathers grow to a great length ; the two centre feathers 

 being about ten inches long, and two outer feathers assuming a shape resembling that of a 

 laurel leaf about five or six inches in length. A small cage will of course destroy the beauty 

 of this long tail in a few hours, and to obtain a perfect bird, a male should be obtained at a 

 very early stage of the change of plumage, and before a single feather has been ruffled in the 

 dealers' store-cage. Placed in an aviary, and in perfect plumage, the graceful flight of the 

 bird, with his long sweeping tail, is a sight of great beauty. At first smaller inmates will be a 

 little frightened when the Whydah-bird swoops down among them, but about twenty-four hours 

 reconciles even the most timid amongst the small Finches to the tail of their new friend. When 

 feeding on the ground the male Whydah-bird carries his tail very carefully in a graceful 

 curve, the extreme ends just touching the ground, whilst the agile feet scratch in the sand and 

 food-dishes, after the manner of fowls. 



Some years since three Paradise Whydah-birds, of rare beauty and great value, came into 

 my hands, which I ascertained to be Vidua verreauxi, a local variety of Vidua paradisea. 

 The brown collar was golden-yellow at the back of the neck, and the black head and throat 

 were of a much more intense tint. The tail reached the extraordinary length of fourteen to 

 sixteen inches. One of these birds escaped one day, and to see him floating from tree to tree 

 in the garden was a sight of such beauty that one might almost forget the loss of the bird. 

 The excitement of the Sparrows was amusing, and they at once mobbed their strange long- 



