341 
ART. III.—An Account of the Whidah Bird, or Paradise Bunt- 
ing; with Three Figures oe the Soe stages of Blumage. 
By Cart. Tuomas Brown, F.R.S.E. F.L.S. &c. &c. 
The Whidah Bunting, (Emberiza paradisea, Linn.) 
Emberiza fusca, pectore rubro, rectricibus intermediis quatuor 
elongatis accuminatis, duabus, longissimis, rostro nigro. 
Emberiza paradisea, Linn. Syst. Nat. I. p. 3]2—19. Gmel. Linn. Syst, 
Nat. I. p. 882. Lath. Ind. Or. I. 405—20. 
Vidua, Briss. III. 120—25. t. 8. f. 1. 
La Veuve a collier d’or Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. IV. 155, 6 
Grande Veuve d@’ Angola, Buff. Pl. Enl. 194. 
Red-breasted Long-tailed Finch, Edwards, 86. 
Whidah Bunting, Lath. Gen. Syst. III. 178. ‘Wb. Shaw’s Gen. Zool. IX, 
Part 2d. p. 418. 
ALTHouGH this remarkable species has been long known to Eu- 
ropean ornithologists, yet we have hitherto had but an imperfect 
account of its ine ‘On that account, I trust what little I have 
to add to it, will draw the attention of naturalists who may have 
an opportunity of observing it in its native wilds, to lay their ob- 
servations before the orld 
The varied changes of plumage which take place during the year 
in this species, is not less extraordinary than useful in pointing out 
to the ornithologist how careful he should be in not at all times 
depending on colour, or even the structure of the feathering, in de- 
scriptions of species. There is no doubt but in many instances 
these are good grounds of distinction, and when taken in conjunc- 
tion with other “specific marks, are generally of much use in charac- 
terizing species. In almost the whole of the feathered creation, 
eon derable change of plumage takes place, from the young to the 
adult state ; and in many instances so great is this alteration, that 
even the het ornithologists in Europe have described immature 
birds, in their various progressive approaches towards their perfect 
state, as animals of a different species. ‘This has been more espe- 
cially the case with birds of the vulture, eagle, and falcon tribes, 
and many others of the larger birds, most of Selieh take from fice 
to five, and even six years of arriving at the adult state ; while the 
Omeller birds usually ‘reach maturity in one or two years. But in 
the instance of the Whidah Bunting, we have a bird exhibiting re- 
markable changes twice a-year. 
The bird ean which I have taken my description is a male of 
about four years of age, and has been in the possession of Sir Pa- 
trick Walker, at Drumsheugh, near Edinburgh, for upwards of two 
vears, which has afforded me an opportunity of watching its pro- 
gress for fully twe seasons, it having been thrice in its summer 
plumage since its arrival in Scotland. 
* Read before the Royal Physical Society 23d June 1629. 
