All Rights Reserved. October, 1919. 



BIRD NOTES: 



THE 



JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. 



The Indian Weaver Bird and Some Others. 



By W. Shore Baily. 



From time to time consig'iiments of these birds come to 

 us from India, but it seems as if the catchers take the male birds 

 only, as one so seldom sees the females oiTered, and, even when 

 they are advertised, they are probably young males, or adult 

 cocks out of colour. I take it that this is the reason that they 

 have never been bred in this country. It is true that one 

 sometimes sees young" birds advertised as having been bred 

 here, but on investigation these usually prove to be young of 

 one of the numerous kinds of Yellow African Weavers. Only 

 last week I was offered an adult pair of these birds, which, on 

 ins]~)cction, proved to be Rufous-necked Weavers — a much 

 larger bird. 



The four varieties of Indian Weavers are PIocciis baya, 

 P. nuDixor. P. bcngalciisis and P. Jiypocauthus, all of which I 

 t;ike it are occasionally imported. My experience of them is 

 limited to one example, and that I believe a Baya. Since I have 

 had him he has spent his time in my large aviaries, with a mixed 

 series of birds, and I have not found him particularly pugna- 

 cious, although Dr. Butler gives him rather a bad character in 

 this respect. As a Weaver he is facile princcps ; none of the 

 African species, although some of them are really clever 

 Ivjilders, can compare with him. The first year I had him he 

 took possession, late in the season, of an Abyssinian Weaver's 

 nest, and converted it to suit his own tastes, afterwards roosting 

 every night in the lower half, whilst the much larger Abyssinian 

 occupied the upper story. Last year he built an orthodox nest 

 of about 13 inches in length, which is stated to be the usual size 

 in its own country; but this year he altogether excelled himself 



