on Hit Violet-eared Waxbill.



305



Our coloured plate sufficiently illustrates, I doubt not, the

plumage respectively of the adult male and female. Of the

young, Stark says :—“ Like the female, but browner,” and the

British Museum Catalogue :—“ Similar to the old female but

almost entirely brown, rather tawny underneath.” I have never

seen a quite young bird ; but the young male I received on

September 7 last was passing from the immature to the mature

feather and was then like the female but for the black throat,

some extra blue, and some dark splashes of chestnut on the breast.

It attained the full plumage of the adult a little previous to

October 19. In 'view of what I have seen stated elsewhere, I

must add that the male of this species does not go in and out of

colour like Weavers and Whydaks, but having once donned the

colours of the adult retains them to the end.


Distribution .—“ From Griqualaud West and the Southern

Transvaal to the Zambesi River, the Lake Ngami District and

the Damara Land.”


Stark also tells us that these Waxbills appear never to

congregate in large flocks, but are either met with in small

parties of five or six, or more usually in pairs. They keep, he

says, much to localities covered with low bushes, and especially

with scattered mimosas, and generally feed on the ground be¬

tween the bushes, often on bare spots, on grass and other small

seeds. Captain Horsbrugh (N.S., II., p. 96) seems to infer that

they are naturally wilder or shyer than some of the other Wax-

bills, avoiding the haunts of man and keeping to the bush. To

me it seems that they are unsociable birds, both males and

females being unable to tolerate for any length of time the

presence near them of any other of the species of the same sex.

I have been told also that the reason why the Violet Ears are

difficult to obtain is that in the wild state they do not go about in

flocks but in pairs. Of course Stark’s “ small parties of five or

six ” represent a pair with their latest brood. All this agrees

perfectly wdth the nature of the species so far as it has been

developed and displayed in my aviary. One feels disposed to

come to the conclusion that the Violet-eared Waxbill does not

go about in flocks,—and this view of the case is certainly

supported by Stark.



