Cases 
81 & 82.} 
132 BIRD GALLERY. 
such as the species of Munia (2610-4), Poéphila (2624-5), and Estrilda 
(2628-31), and the lovely Erythrura (2619-20). Of the numerous 
species that build in colonies the Sociable Weavers (Phileterus socius) 
(2645) of South Africa is perhaps one of the most interesting. By 
the united workmanship of a large number of birds, an umbrella- 
shaped structure of sticks and straw is erected among the branches of a 
tree, and from the underside of this thatched roof each pair suspend 
their nest woven of dry grass, and rear their young, secure from the 
attacks of snakes and other enemies. 
Of the Ploceine, the most familiar is the common Indian species, 
Ploceus baya (2641), which suspends its flask-shaped nest with a long 
tubular entrance from a branch overhanging the water. This species 
invariably lays white eggs, but some of the African forms of Hyphant- 
ornis (2688-40) and Pyromelana (2588-9) lay eggs of several types, 
and the same nest may contain white, pale blue, or green eggs, uniform 
or spotted with red. 
Family XXXVI. Icreripm. Hane-nests. (Plate XXI. fig. 2.) 
These birds represent the Starlmgs and Weavers in the New World, 
and include a large number of species possessing only nine primary 
quills. Five subfamilies are recognised. The Cassiques (Cassicine) 
are forest-birds mostly of large size, one of the largest being the Central 
American (Gymnostinops montezume) (2647). The Maize - Birds 
(Ageleine) are ground-haunting species frequenting the open pastures, 
prairie-lands, and pampas. ‘They include the Bobolink (Dolichonyx 
oryziworus) (2654) and the especially interesting Cow-birds (Molothrus) 
(2655) [ Pl. XXI. fig. 2], in which the polygamous and parasitic habits of 
some of the Cuckoos of the Old World are repeated. The Bobolink, 
one of the finest American songsters, is perhaps only rivalled by 
the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus baltimore) (2610), a well-known repre- 
sentative of the true Hang-nests (Icterine). This species and many 
of its allies are of brilliant black-and-yellow plumage, and for 
this reason are generally known as American “ Orioles,” but they 
must not be confounded with the Orioles of the Old World, which 
they superficially resemble. Quiscalus major (2682) may be taken 
as a type of the next subfamily, Quiscaline, characterised by the long 
stout metatarsi suited to a terrestrial life. Lastly, the Sturnelline, 
including the Troupials (Zrupialis) (2668 a) and ‘ Meadow-Larks ” 
(Sturnella; (2668), are remarkable on account of their extraordinary 
mimetic resemblance to the Pipits, more especially of the genus 
Macronyx (p. 128), their lengthened inner secondaries and strong feet 
adapting them to their purely terrestrial life. Many of the species 
