578 PASSERIFORMES 



with white streaks above and spots below, a yellow rump, and a 

 wliite middle to the under parts. Foephila mirahilis, one of the 

 " Grrass-finches," shews a beautiful combination of pale green, blue, 

 lilac, scarlet, yellow, black, brown, and white ; Neoclvmia phaeton is 

 crimson, brown, and black ; Foudia is generally crimson and l)lack ; 

 Hyphantornis cucullatus is golden-yellow, black, and chestnut ; 

 Plodeus haya is yellow and brown ; Tcxtor albirostris is entirely 

 black. The bill is not uncommonly coral-red, as in Estrelda and 

 other " Wax-bills ; " but it varies from red to horn-coloured in 

 Vidua, and may be whitish, as in Textor albirostris, as well as 

 lilack, grey, rose-tinted, brownish, orange, or nearly blue. The 

 feet may also be red, brown, purplish, dusky, or flesh-coloured. 



Weaver-birds are generally tame, and often approach habita- 

 tions ; the larger species frequenting woods and gardens, open 

 country, sugar-cane fields, or reed-beds, but many of the smaller 

 preferring grassy flats, bushy places, or even stony hills. They 

 are usually social,and frequently pugnacious. The flight, though 

 somewhat brief and heavy, is fairly rapid ; Ghera and Vidua rise 

 with arched tail, and hover with flapping wings, at times soar- 

 ing almost out of sight to descend again with great velocity. 

 Sycobrotus climbs especially well, Bonacicola hangs to the reeds 

 like a Bunting, and indeed it is doubtful whether the Australian 

 forms are not really generalized Finches. The usual utterance 

 is a harsh churr, a shrill piping cry, a chattering or a twittering 

 noise, often pre(;eded by a single mournfid note ; but some species 

 sing fairly well in chorus. The food, generally procured upon the 

 ground, consists mainly of seeds, but is varied by insects- — occa- 

 sionally taken on the wing,— fruits, and flowers ; while the birds 

 play havoc with rice and other crops, often clinging to the stems 

 until they have eaten every grain from the head. 



The nest is almost invariably a large mass of roughish grass 

 or flags, bristling with the thicker ends of the stalks ; it is usually 

 lined with finer stems, but sometimes with feathers, down, and wool, 

 while sticks, twigs, roots, and the like may be added exteriorly. 

 The fabric is normally " retort-shaped," that is to say, globular with 

 a " spout " or tubular passage, which curves downwards either from 

 the middle or from the top of one side ; but some of the struc- 

 tures resemble flasks placed horizontally ; others have little or no 

 spout, or hang by a sort of rope ; and occasionally the materials do 

 not quite meet above. Weaver-birds, especially the more typical 



