38 
My IVIiydahs—Past and Present. 
The next addition was the Pin-tail W'hydah (Vidua 
principalis ) . A more .showy bird, being, when in colour, a 
mixture of black and white, red bill, and four long shaft feathers 
growing out of the tail, but not so wide as in the first named - 
si)ecies. This bird has a pleasant little song, but is somewhat 
inclined to be troublesome and is fond of scrapping with other 
inmates of the a\iary. There are two varieties: one what we 
may term the conmion or freely imported ones ; the other lesi 
common but very similar. 
My next additions were the Golden-backed VVhydahs 
( reiiilietriopsis macntra). and two of these beaiUiful and rare 
birds, were sent me ])y a friend. This species is about nine 
inches in length, including tail and beak. The mantle, scapulars 
and medium wing-coverts, are a lo\ely chrome-yellow; the 
remainder of the plumage is a glossy black. These two cocks 
remained some time with me: one I sold and the other was 
found dead, but in perfect plumage, on the t^oor of the aviary 
after a bad night air-raid. Possibly the shock of gun firing, 
which was very heavy and prolonged on that night, caused its 
death: the same thing happened also to my Jackson's Whydah 
later. The Jackson's W'hydah ( Dreplanuplectes jacksoni). 
which has been figured in Bird Notks more than once, hardly 
needs description, and those who have visited the Small Birds' 
House at the London Zoo will have noticed some fine specimens 
in the large flight there. 
( )f three other members of the family the Golden- 
shouldered, White-winged (I'ruhrachya alhonotata ) and Brown 
shouldered, I have had two cock birds of each; the last named 
I think, are rare, and I do not remember seeing any other live 
specimens. When they arrived they were out of colour, but. 
after being with me for a year, became glossy black with a dull 
reddish-brown patch under the wing near the shoulder, which 
also showed slightly on the top; this was mostly noticed when 
flying. 
During i)art of the war-period I had in the aviary .a 
beautiful pair of Grimson-ringed Whydahs (Coliostrutlins 
new aviaries were ready at Lingfield, after moving down there 
lafirauda) belonging to our Editor, Mr. Page, when his 
