RED-BILLED WHIDAH. 
177 
and also the black spot on the chin ; this latter 
character, however, does not exist in another speci- 
men we possess, of uncertain locality, but which, 
in every other respect, minutely agrees with that 
from Senegal. Are they varieties, or different sexes, 
or from different localities ? 
The Red-hilled Whidah, in size, is less than the 
V. paradisea, and is altogether an aberrant species 
of this small group. The hill is shorter, thicker, 
and broader at the top, so as to resemble that of the 
succeeding genus, Amadina. The four middle tail- 
feathers are greatly elongated ; two are convex, and 
two (one within the other) are concave, — so that 
when all four are closed, they form a sort of cylin- 
der ; and but for their extremities, appear at first 
sight to he all one. The ordinary tail-feathers, four 
on each side, are slightly rounded. The tertials, or 
at least one of them, is as long as the primaries. 
- In the adult, the general colour is deep glossy blue- 
black ; this colour covers the crown and the hack, 
between which is a pure white collar ; the wings 
and scapulars are the same ; the lower part of the 
back and margin of the tail-covers are white. A 
large spot of pure white nearly, spreads over all the 
wing-covers. The ears, sides of the head, and all 
the under parts are pure white, hut the black co- 
lour of the hack advances on the sides of the breast, 
so as to form a half collar, open in front. The 
tail-feathers externally are black, but internally, 
white ; this latter colour predominating on the outer- 
most feathers. In the Senegal specimen, as before 
M 
