ORDER PASSERES. 149 



The Widow Birds. Vidua. Cuv. 



Are African and Indian birds, with the bill of the 

 linnet, sometimes a little more swollen at its base. 

 They are distinguished by having some of the tail 

 quills, or upper tail-coverts, excessively long in the 

 males. 



One species (Vidua longicauda) has only the 

 coverts elongated ; the others have the quills so. 



Linnaeus and Gmelin have unaccountably united 

 them to the buntings, under the following names : — 



Shaft-tailed Bunting. Lath. Ember iza Regia. Gm. 

 Enl. 8. 1. 



Sides of head, beneath, and round the neck, rufous ; 

 back of neck, spotted black ; four middle tail-feathers, 

 nine or ten inches long, Africa. 



Dominican Bunting. Lath. Emberiza Serena. Gm. 

 PI. Enl. 8. 2. 



Upper part of head black ; crown, back of neck, and 

 all beneath, rufous white ; back, black ; feathers, edged 

 with dirty white. Habitat. ^ 



S/tarp-tailed Finch. Oriolus cavdacutus. Gm. Fringilla caudacuta. Wil 

 A. O. ij. t. 34. f. 3. not Lath. 



Sea-side Finch. Fiingilla marititna. Wils. A. O. t. 54. f. 2, 



Prince Musignano observes, that the three last, and especially the two 

 latter, have a peculiar form and general habit, which might entitle them to 

 a separate sub-genus or section. Mr. Swainson names the group Amma- 

 dovamus. 



Ammadovamus bimaculatus. Swain; 



FringUla Georgica. Lath. Licht. 



