WHIDAH FINCH.

THIS is the proper name of this bird, which is frequently corrupted into the name of widow finch, or widow bird. The name of whidah bird is believed to have been given to it by the Portuguese, as derived from the kingdom of Whidah, which is situated towards the central part of the western coast of Africa; it is also found in various parts of that continent, from Senegal to Angola. "It is related nearly to the linnets, with the exception of the peculiar structure of its tail, having two or more of the intermediate quill feathers in the male birds lengthened in an extraordinary degree. The tail itself consists of twelve feathers, of which the elongated ones are vertical; two being flowing and pendent, and two, the middle ones, broad, with the shaft projecting like a slender filament beyond the end. Size, that of a sparrow. It has much the manners of the linnet, and is lively and active in captivity, which it endures without much appearance of constraint, jumping from perch to perch, and alternately raising and depressing its long tail with great vivacity. It is fed upon grain, with the occasional addition of green herbs; and is fond of bathing in the water which may happen to be placed in its cage.

Twice a year it is subject to a change of plumage, the long feathers, the peculiar attribute of the male, falling off in autumn, and returning in spring, when he recovers with his new dress, his sharp, but agreeable and varied note. His summer dress is, on the upper part, black, except the back of the neck, which is half-surrounded with a broad lightish chestnut band; the breast is reddish

brown, the under part nearly white. In winter, its head is variegated with black and white; its breast and back of a dull orange, with dusky spots; its quill feathers dark brown, and its under parts dusky white; the bill is dusky; the iris of a deep brown, approaching to black; the legs of a yellowish buff colour. It is said to live twelve or fifteen years."

The whidah bird is allied to the finches, of which we have several examples in this country, such as the goldfinch, the linnet, the greenfinch, and the chaffinch.

Another species, the red-billed whidah bird, is found in the same regions as the preceding one, but is of less size. "Of the four middle and greatly-elongated tail feathers, two are convex, and two, one within the other, concave, so that when all four are closed together, they form a sort of cylinder, and, but for their extremities, appear at first sight as one. The general colour of the male in full plumage is glossy blue black, with a white collar, and white wing coverts and scapularies, of which hue are also the lower part of the back, the throat, the chest, and the under parts. In habits it agrees with the other species."