The YELLOW-SHOULDERED MOURNING WIDOW (_Coliuspasser flaviscapulatus_),
an inhabitant of Abyssinia, is a bird about eight inches in length, of
which the tail measures four and a half inches; the wing does not exceed
three and one-third inches. The coat of the male is deep black, the
shoulders yellow, and the wings and tail edged with yellowish white. The
plumage of the female is principally of a brownish yellow, lightest on
the throat and darkest upon the head, which, owing to the deep colour of
the feathered shafts, has a slight appearance of being striped. The wings
and tail are dark brown, and the shoulders greenish yellow. The breeding
season commences about August; the nests are somewhat deep, built of
large dry straws, and entered through a long tubular passage or small
opening, protected by a kind of roof. The male is provided with a second
nest, placed near to that containing his family, and furnished with two
entrances. The eggs have a reddish-white shell, marked with rose-coloured
spots and streaks, lying most thickly together at the broad end, and so
minute as almost to escape notice.