630 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



I watched the nests for half an hour, during which time neither hen put in 

 an appeal ance. 



AiiijU't 28. — Saw both cocks at work, but neither hen. 



Aucjut. 3'i. — Saw both cocks at work, but neither hen. 



The lower nest has now en entian^e passage y inches long, the walls of this 

 are much thmner than those of the lest of the nest. It ia easy to see through 

 them. The new nest is progressing but the upper one, belong.ng to the other 

 cock, does not seem to have advanced much. I could see no signs of mud in 

 the nests. 



Sepif-mb'r 3 —Saw no signs of the weaver-birds. 



The upper nest has disappeared. The new one has made a little progress. 

 The owneis appear to have deserted". 



Let us now return to the mattets in connection with the nest-building of 

 the Baya, that need further elucidation. 



The fi st is the meaning of the supplementary or " cock's " nests. 



As rega ds these two theories have been advanced. 



The fi st is that every pair of weaver-biids construct two nests — one in 

 which the eggs are laid and one^an incomplete onC' — called by natives the 

 jhula, in which the cock is supposed to sit and make a joyful noise for the 

 delectation of his spouse. This is the popular theory and is held by aU 

 natives of India. 



It is implicitly accepted by Major McNair, who writes, on page 28 of Vol. 

 IX of Na'u e Avtex, " The Bayas build two hanging nests quite separate and 

 distinct ; cne for the male which is open at the base, and has a giass perch for 

 him to rest upon, the other for the female. . . ," Colonel Butler also says 

 "theie are two nests as a rule for each piir." 



In this connection I may repioduce ihe following entry made at Lahore in 

 my note-book : *' Came upon a tree containing about 10 Weaver-bird's nests — 

 complete onas — with as many ' cock's ' nests. None had any clay attached to 

 the outside, but theie weie pellets of this mateiial in three of which I could 

 see the inside " As these weie all disused nests, the fact that there were an 

 equal number of supplemtn'aiy nssts appeals to confi m the popular theory. 

 Nevertheless there is as »e shall see a good deal of evidence which tends to 

 prove that two nests ai e not invariably made. Neither Jeidoa. nor Hume, 

 nor E. H. Aitken, nor Legge, nor Home believe in the popular theory. 



The second theoiy legaiding these supplementary nests is that of Jerdon, 

 That g. eat OLnithologist wiites (Birds of India, Vol. II. page 34:^): "It is 

 gene. ally believed thut the un! nished nests are built by the male for his own 

 special behoof and that the pieces of clay are more commonly found in it 

 than in the complete nests. 



I did not find this the case at Rangoon, where my opportunities of observ- 

 ing the bi d were good and believe laiher that the unfinished nests were either 

 rejected fiom some imperfect con-itruction weak support or other reason, if 

 buUt eaily in the bieeding season, or if late that they are simply the efforts of 



