144 Birds I Have Kept. 



is a gorgeously appareled bird, that has been acclimatised in 

 St. Helena, the Island of Reunion and the Mauritius. 



Though I have often looked for them, I have not hitherto 

 met with any more of the Eed- faced ^Veavers in the shops 

 of the London dealers, and imagine them to be rather scarce. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



THE EUFOrS OR RED-BEAKED WEAVER. 



IjS" its undress this bird is almost exactly like that described 

 in the last chapter, but the summer dress of the male 

 at once proves it to belong to a different species. When in 

 colour, the whole of the breast and belly become a bright 

 yellowish red, and a beautiful bloom appears on the brown 

 and grey back. 



The female, of course, does not change her dress, and may 

 be known from the male when out of colour by her smaller 

 size. The beak, in both sexes, is coral red. The tail of these 

 birds is peculiarly short, not measuring more than an inch, or 

 thereabouts, the total length of the bird being four and a half 

 inches. 



The Eed-beaked Weaver is also an indefatigable nest builder, 

 and the way he commences his task extremely curious. Having 

 fixed upon an appropriate site for his operations, he commences 

 by binding two twiglets together with a piece of fibre, forming 

 a circle, round which he twists blades of grass, or pieces of 

 fibre, but preferring fresh grass, when he can get it: as soon 

 as the circle is about the thickness of a goose-quill, he begins 

 to extend it, and standing at what forms the entrance of the 

 future nest, he weaves on, gradually contracting the opening, 

 until at length it disappears and a perfect nest is formed: 



