Nesting of the Black Sded-Finch. 
other seeds Avore taken, Init meahvoniis were their favourite 
food. 
AH went well for ten days, by wliich time the young 
were quite well feathered, when a ' heavy thunderstorm aX night, 
followed by a frost, destroyed my hopes of winning a medal. 
They have now again gone to nest, this time in a box 
under cover, so there is just a possibility of my yet rearing 
one or two of these attractive little birds this season. 
♦ 
My Weavers and Wiiydahs. 
By Sidney Williams,, F.Z.S 
(Concluded from page 216). 
My collection of Whydahs is much smaller than the 
series of Weavers already described, and consists of nine speci- 
mens covering Ave species, as follows: — 
1 Golden-backed Whydah (Pcnthctriopsis mncrura). 
2 Red -shouldered Whydahs {Col'ofafser axillaris). 
1 Jackson's Whydah {Deprctnoplrctrfi jarksoni). 
2 Paradise Whydah (St( gamtra pnradisra ) . 
Pintail Whydahs (V/'d/id priiici pal'K ) . 
I am shortly expecting to receive fi-om a friend, shortly 
returning from Africa, a Queen Whydah (Vidua regia) ;and 
several more Yellow -backed Whydahs. 
Except the Jackson's, which has only been with me 
a few weeks and therefore lean give no opinion at present, 
I find the above species quite hardy. They live with ray 
series of Weavers quite happily, and are well able to look 
after themselves. This is evident, as Paradise, Pin -tail, and 
Red -shouldered have been with me nearly four years, and at 
the time of writing (July 20) are in excellent condition. 
Similarly to the Weavers, the Whydahs change their 
garments twice in the course of the year. In the eclip.^e or 
winter plumage they arc quite sombi-e looking, and one would 
not trouble .scarcely to give them a second glance ; but 
when the transformation, which takes place at the commence- 
ment of the breeding season, is complete, and their tails reach 
a length of fourteen inches or more, they ,ai"e different creatures 
and their gorgeous nuptial dross commands admiration from 
eveiyone. 
In undress (eclipse plumage) the Pintail and Paradise 
