WARBLERS 201 



but vastly entertaining. Among other song birds 

 of the higher elevations one or more larks occur. 

 I believe they may be included among singing 

 birds, for, although I have never seen one in the 

 act, yet I have heard in their midst songs so similar 

 to that of the British variety, that, with the utmost 

 confidence that justice is being done, I unhesita- 

 tingly accord them the benefit of the doubt. There 

 is, moreover, a beautiful song thrush, not resembling 

 our home bird, it is true, but capable of whistling 

 sweetly. Warblers of many kinds fill the woods 

 in springtime with their cheery notes. Among 

 the weavers, the Widow-bird {Vidua paradisea) is 

 a striking example. He is so called from two long, 

 jet-black feathers so absurdly out of proportion to 

 his size that you wonder how he can fly at all. 

 This bird, whose remaining colour scheme is worked 

 out in pale red and dark cream, is usually ac- 

 companied by a dozen or more females, who are 

 doubtless proud of their lord's singular distinctive 

 adornment. 



I have never seen in Zambezia the Sparrow, 

 attributed by other observers to neighbouring 

 portions of South Central Africa, and I doubt 

 very much if it is to be found here. Both in North 

 Africa and also in some of our Southern African 

 Colonies this bird is common — too common — but 

 there is evidently some disturbing influence which 

 has luckily checked its penetration into the central 

 portions of the great continent, where, however, 

 another member of the sparrow family is by no 

 means unknown. 



The lower elevations of the territories bordering 



