178 B U N T I N G .
14.
PSITTACEOUS
B.
Emberiza Pfittacea, Lin. Syß. i. p, 312. 18.
La Linotte à longue queue du Brefil, Brif. orn. Hi. p. 147* 35*
La Veuve éteinte, Buf. oif. iv. p. 168.
Fringilla Brafilienfis, Seba, i. p. 103. pi. 66. f. 5.
Description. C I Z E of a Sparrow : length eleven inches and a half. General
colour a dull greyilh afh : the bafe of the bill furrounded
with pale red : wings yellow and pale red mixed : the tail the
colour of the body ; the two middle feathers much longer * than
the others, and tipped with chefnut.
P l a c e . Inhabits Braftl.
n 4 - WHIDAH B.
Emberiza Paradifiea, Un. Sjtß. i. p. 312. 19.— Scop. am. i. N° 216 f .
La Veuve, Br if* orn. iii. p. 120. 25. pl. 8. f. 1.
La Veuve à collier d’or, Buf. oif. iv. p. 155. pl. 6*
Grande Veuve d’Angola, Pl. enl. 194
Another Indian long-tailed Sparrow, Will, om. p. 251. §. 11.—Rnii Syju
p. 87. 10.— Petvv. Gaz. pl. 55."f. i.
Red-breaded long-tailed Finch., Ed<w. pl. 86..
Lev. Muf
D escription. TJ A T H E R left than a Hedge Sparrow : length, to the fide
^ tail feathers five inches and a half- The bill lead-colour :
irides hazel | : the head, chin, and fore part of the neck, back,
» Three times the length o f the body. îlifi. dis oif.
+ Scopoli thinks that this does not differ from the laft.
J Both in this, and the plate of the Hiß. des oif. the figures âre thofe of the
Wbidah Bird, which is what Baffin would have us underftand to be his Vtwvt
à collier d’or. This is clear from his references : there muft be therefore fiima
miftake in this matter. The grande Vewue is a different bird.
H Chefnut, B u f on.
B U N T I N G . 179
wings, and tail, black: neck behind pale orange : bread, and
upper part of the belly, a full orange: lower belly, and thighs,
white: vent black : the two middle tail feathers are four inches
in length, very broad, and ending in a long thread; the two next
are thirteen, or more, inches in length, very broad in the middle,
narrower at the end, and rather pointed; from the middle of the
lhaft of this laft arifes another long, thread; the reft of the tail
feathers are only two inches and a quarter long; the two middle
long ones are placed fomewhat vertically, and appear undulated
acrofs, and are more glofly than the others : the legs flelh-
colour.
Tht female is wholly of a deep brown, almoft black; but does Pemale.
not gain the full plumage under three years.
This fpecies moults twice in a year. The male wants the long,
tail feathers fix months out of twelve: it moults in November,
when it firft lofes them, and the plumage is of a mixed black and
reddilh colour, and the head ftreaked black and w h i t e i t moults,
again late in fpring, when it gets the fummer plumag eb ut the
tail feathers are fcarce complete till June, and fall again in November,.
as before mentioned.
The females,, when young, are nearly like the males in their
winter drefs.
This is pretty common at Angola, and other parts of Africa; Place.
and is called la Veuve, or Widow Bird, from the colour *. They
are often brought into Europe, where they frequently live many
years.,, and are in general lively aftive birds.
* Willugbly :— But Edwards gives another reafon for the name— being a corruption
of Whidah, a fort in Africa, in the neighbourhood of which they are common.
Whidah Bird,-and Widow Bird, are founds very iimilar.