120 On the Nesting of the Spotted-backed Weavers.


egg I had left and, I think, hatched out a young one on the 13th

day.


I was in two minds as to the advisability of removing the

cock, but finally, to my sorrow, allowed it to remain, partly

because it seemed on its best behaviour. I noticed it for the first

time taking food up to the nest, and also because I was afraid

that in trying to catch it I might disturb the lieu and cause

her to desert.


All went well till the 15th day, after the hatching of the

young when the nest was again thrown down and the partly-

fledged youngster dead on the floor. No further attempt at

breeding was made after this, and unfortunately, the cock escaped

whilst being transferred to another aviary.


Last year I hoped to achieve complete success, but, un¬

happily, my hopes have been totally unrealised. About the

middle of March I removed two other Weavers of different

species that were in the aviary, and the hen soon afterwards

appeared to pair off with the remaining Spotted-backed cock.

This bird, however, has proved an absolute failure, as, although it

has started several nests, it seems quite incapable of being able to

finish one, and spends most of its time fussing round and showing

off to the hen. Whether it is too excitable or too unskilled I do

not know, but the fact remains that it seems quite incapable of

getting beyond a certain very elementary stage in the construction

of a nest.


In the end it gave up even this pretence at building, and

contented itself with smothering the whole of the top of the

aviary with bits of grass and hay woven together in lines from

one side to the other. All the eggs laid last year were of a

greeny-blue colour, very narrow and elongated, and the young

were born quite naked, without the least suggestion of down of

any kind. Incubation lasts, I think, thirteen days, but 011 this

point I am not quite sure.


I hope these notes may be of interest to some of our

members though I fear they are very much lacking in important

details.



