DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines. ] Inches.. Lines.
Length from the tip of the bill to the Length of the tail .................. ........... 2 6
end of the tail*.................. 6 0 of the tarsus.............. .......... 1 0
of the bill from the angle of the of the hinder toe ...... .......... 0 5
mouth ............................. 0 7 of the middle toe ...... .......... 0 9
of the wings when folded..... . 3 0 | 1 of the outer toe...... . . .......... 0 6
Nothing is known of the female,— the probabilities are, she is of a
brownish colour, and without the gay coloured epaulets so conspicuous in the
male.
There is reason to believe this species of widow bird occurs but rarely in South Africa. The
individual which our figure represents, was obtained upon the south-east coast, between seven
and eight hundred miles to the eastward of Cape Town, and at the time it was shot, it was
perched upon rushes growing out of some marshy ground in Caffreland.
South Africa furnishes us with a number of birds yet referred to this Genus, but it appears to
me very doubtful if all of them will continue to be classed together. Those of the Cape admit
readily of being divided into two sections,—indicated by the character of the plumage and habits
of the species. The species of the first section have the summer feathers, in the males, soft and
velvety, which is not the case in those of the other section; the former resort to marshy grounds,
and feed and build their nests among reeds, or long rushes,—the latter, principally frequent the
vicinity of human dwellings, or occur in dry localities, thinly covered with wood, and when driven
from grounds upon which they may be feeding, generally perch upon trees, or brushwood.
The species of the first section, besides, have the bill stronger in proportion, and more elongated,
than the species of the second.
1st Section.
Vidua longicatida, Cuv.
Vidua lenocinia, Lesson.
Vidua axillaris, Sm ith .
2 n d Section.
Vidua regia, Cuv.
Vidua serena, Cuv.
Vidua superciliosa, Cuv.
The tail in the state in which it existed in the specimen figured.
Accipiter rufiventris .
------------ polyzonoides .
Alauda ferruginea. . .
— — Codea . .
■ Lagepa .
Amadina erythrocephala
— -----—— squatnifrons
Anas flavirostris . .
——- sparsa . . . .
Aquila coronata .
--------- - —.....young
■ ■ ■ ■ bellicosa .
Ardea atricollis
— --gutturalis . . .
Astur melanoleucus .
Athene Capensis .
—: — — Woodfordii .
Brachonyx apiata .
■ ------------pyrrhonotha . .
Bradornis Mariquensis .
Bubo Capensis .
Caprimulgus Natalensis
---------------- rufigena
--------------- lentiginosus
--------------- Europoeus
Certhilauda Africana
■ ------------subcoronata
■ ------------garrula .
— --------- - semitorquata
Cinnyris Verroxii
Circus Swainsonii
------------- young
---------maurus
Chizserhis concolor
Chloropeifa Natalensis
Clangula leuconota
Corythaix porphyreolopha .
— INDEX.
PLATE
Cossypba humeralis 48
----------- - Natalensis 1 <n
Crateropus Jardinii
6
Dicrurus Ludwigii . .
. . 34
Drymoica substriata . 72
---- ------- pallida . - . . 72
------— — ruficapilla • MM 73
— ------Levaillantii . . . , . 1 73
' '.v — textrix 1 1 74
---------— terrestris . . 74
------------ ocularius . H B i i
----- ------pectoralis .r ^M 75
-—-----—• Capensis . . . | '.h, .... 76
----- ------ subruficapilla 76
—-------;— affinis . . . . .. 77
------------ Cherina . . - 77
—--------— aberrans . . 78
------------ CHnnana 79
—:-------1— Natalensis .. 80
■ — subcinnamomea 111
------------ fasciolata . . I ll
Erythropygia pectoralis 49
---------— Paena . 50
Euplectes Taha
Falco semitorquatus .
w . 7
1
-- rupicoloides . 92
Erancolinus Swainsonii . 12
—------S Natalensis 13
------------ pileatus . . 14
----------- subtorquatus 15
------------Gariepensis, male . 83
---------------- female . 84
------------ Levaillantii . 85
Gallinula dimidiata 20
—--------- Jardinii . 21
---------elegans . . . 22
Halcyon Senegaloides . . 63
AVES.-
PLATE
. 93
11
29
v . 87
.. 87
. .' 69
. , 95
., 96
* 97
. 40
. 41
. . 42
86
,, . 91
. 18
... 33
. 71
110
• . . 110
113
. 70
99
. 100
101
. 102
90
. 90
106
. 106
57
. 43
44
. 58
2
. 112
107
. 35