The Paradise Whydah-bird. 141 



They do not learn to speak, wrote Beohstein, but are very 

 sociable and affectionate, wbich. is quite correct; but tie father 

 • of bird-lore very seldom made a mistake. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



THE PABADISE WHTDAH-BIED. 



FEW amateurs would consider their collection complete 

 without a pair, or two, of these curious birds, which, 

 in spite of their wonderful tails, and glossy black plumage, 

 are not great favourites of mine, for I have been rather un- 

 fortunate in my experience with them, having rarely been 

 able to keep them for more than a year or so. 



Between January and July both sexes of this species are 

 alike in colour, and somewhat resemble a Grey Linnet, which 

 they about equal in size, although the undress tail of the 

 male is decidedly longer than that of the English bird. 



About midsummer the male of the Whydah-bird begins to 

 put on his wedding dress, which consists of a deep, almost 

 jet, black body-coat, with a broad collar of rich cbesnut-brown; 

 his vest and continuations are snow-white, and in a surpris- 

 ingly short time he produces four black tail feathers, the 

 outer pair of which are more than twice the length of his 

 body, occasionally attaining the prodigious length of fourteen 

 inches from shaft to tip. 



The female retains her simple brown costume throughout 

 the year, but can readily, at all seasons, he distinguished 

 from her mate by her inferior size. 



The Whydah family, generally, have a curious habit of 

 scratching with their feet in the sand that should always be 

 plentifully scattered on the floor of their abode; and this 

 they presumably do in search of insects, for I have never 



