312 BUNTING. 



La Veuve a Collier d'Or, Buf. iv. 155. pi. 6. PI. enl. 194. 

 La Vhida, Gabin. de Madrid, ii. p. 52. lam. 60. 

 Red-breasted long-tailed Finch, Edw. pi. 86. Will. 251. §.11. 

 Whidah Bunting, Gen. Syn. iii. 178. 



RATHER less than the Hedge Sparrow ; length to the side tail 

 feathers five inches and a half. Bill lead-colour ; irides hazel ; head, 

 chin, and fore part of the neck, back, wings, and tail, black ; neck 

 behind pale orange; breast and half the belly a full orange ; lower 

 part and thighs white ; vent black ; the two middle tail feathers are 

 very broad, four inches long, and end in a thread ; the two next 

 thirteen or more, very broad in the middle, narrower at the end, and 

 rather pointed ; from the middle of the shaft of each arises another 

 long thread ; the rest of the feathers only two and a quarter long ; 

 the two middle long ones are placed somewhat vertically, appear 

 undulated across, and more glossy than the others ; legs flesh-colour, 



The female is wholly of a deep brown, almost black ; but does 

 not gain the full plumage in less than three years. 



This species moults twice in a year : the male wants the long tail 

 feathers six months out of twelve : it first loses them in November, 

 and the plumage is mixed black and reddish ; the head streaked 

 black and white ; moults again late in spring, when it gains the 

 summer plumage ; but the tail is scarcely complete till June, the 

 long feathers falling again in autumn. 



The females, when young, are nearly like the males in their 

 winter dress. It is not uncommon at Angola, and other parts of 

 Africa ; and called there La Veuve, or Widow Bird : * is often 

 brought into Europe, where it frequently lives many years, and is 

 in general a lively, active species. 



* From its colour,— Willughby ; but Edwards gives a more probable reason ; being cor- 

 rupted from Whidah, a fort in Africa, about which they are in great plenty ; and Whidah 

 Bird, and Widow Bird, are sounds very similar. 



