210 My Weavers — Past and Present. 



WEAVERS.— The (n-eat All Black, S]iarrovv (Ploccpas- 

 scr inahali). Bronze Abyssinian ( Ci)i)iain(>pieryx rubiginosa). 

 Black-bellied (l'. iiigrivciitris ). Manyar (I'locciis inanyar), 

 (iolden-backed, and one which i ha\e not l)een able to definitely 

 identify. Init believe to be the Princes Island Weaver. Between 

 these and ihe more common species were three cock Red-headed 

 (Oitclca crytliruccpliala ), two cock Black-headed (Hyphan- 

 ioniis inclanuccphala), one Half-masked (H. hrachyptera), two 

 Baya \\ eavers ( Pluccus baya ), two Taha Weavers (Pyromclaim 

 taha), four cock Crimson-crowned (P. faz'onjiccps ), one snperl) 

 specimen of Russ's Weaver (Quelea russ'i), the albino form of 

 Qnclca qitelea. This bird lived with me for about seven years. 

 One cock Grenadier (Pyromelana oryx), one Yellowish, and 

 two pairs of Rufous-necks (Hyphanfoniis citcuUata) ; while 

 representing' the common kinds were a pair of Red-billed 

 (Qnclca qiiclca). a pair of Napoleon (Pyromelana afra), several 

 Orange Bishops (P. franciscana), one Madagascar ( I'ondia 

 madagascariensis ) , a Comoro Weaver (Nesacanihis cmincniis- 

 sima). I think my readers will agree with me when I say this 

 collection was one to be proud of. At the time of writing my 

 Weavers are three — the old Grenadier cock, seven years old; a 

 hen Red-billed, nearly ten years old and still as fit as the day 

 I bought her; and my cock Golden-backed, four and a half years 

 old. Difificulty of getting food, and being very little at home 

 during the war forced me to sell many. Others went West, 

 and three or four escaped. 



Those wdio have had much to do with the Weavers may 

 possibly have noticed these birds seem to be subject to fainting 

 fits; my Black. Red-heads, Half-masked, .-nid Rufous-necks, 

 when suddenly alarmed or very excited would occasionally roll 

 over on the floor and lay quite stiff, but when picked up and a 

 little cold water dropped in the bill or even their entire head 

 plunged into water, soon recovered, but were a little unsteady 

 for a while. I only had one die from this cause. That was my 

 Half-masked; this bird came to me from, I believe, our member. 

 Miss Chawner. and I think, if I recollect rightly, she had .a 

 similar experience with him. 



