BROAD-SHAFTED WHIDAH-FINCH. 1 73 
Finches of the same country, are imported into 
France by the Senegal traders, and sold to the 
marckanls des oiseaux of Paris. We were, indeed, 
not a little surprised, during a residence in that city, 
to find between a hundred and fifty and two hun- 
dred of these inhabitants of the torrid zone flying 
and sporting about in a small dark dirty room, 
transformed into a sort of aviary, in one of the 
meanest houses on the Quay Voltaire , two rooms 
only of which were tenanted by a marchand des 
oiseau — his birds living in one, and himself and 
family in the other. We hare even been assured 
that these ingenious people, who are really practical 
ornithologists, contrive to breed several of these 
African natives in their dingy quarters. 
The upper plumage of the species before us is 
deep brownish-black, much paler on the wings, and 
even upon the lateral tail-feathers. The head, ears, 
chin, and throat, are enveloped in a hood of this 
colour, which extends down, but narrows upon the 
middle of the breast. There is a broad collar on 
the upper part of the neck, of a rich orange-rufous, 
which unites with a deep tinge of the same colour 
on the sides of the neck and breast ; and this, again, 
fades into a pale buff on the body, belly, and thighs, 
leaving the under tail-covers, like the upper, black. 
The four lateral tail-feathers on each side are gra- 
duated, each being about a quarter of an inch 
longer than the others ; the two next, however, are 
enormously long, often measuring twelve inches 
from the base, and about three-quarters of an inch 
