19^2.] the Birds of Shid. (i-4^ 



Weavers' nests (from the train) nearly as far north as the 

 frontier. 



I had several colonies under obsorvation at Karachi, and 

 I always Found that they were composed entirely of this 

 species, the Streaked Weavers keeping strictly apart, though 

 Butler has recorded on one occasion all three species nesting 

 in one tree. From close and long observation I formed the 

 opinion that males greatly predominate, as Hume found with 

 the other two species in winter : thus at two isolated nests 

 three males were present, at another colony of fifteen nests 

 about fifteen males were seen and only two or three females ; 

 at another eight nests eight males and two females, and so on. 

 Moreover, at every colony there were more nests built than ever 

 had eggs in them, and nests are left in all stages of incom- 

 pleteness, a circumstance I put down to the ceaseless energy 

 of the surplus nuiles. To the excellent account of the nesting 

 of this bird given in Hume's 'Nests and Eggs' I can add but 

 little. Round Karachi the nests were in "babool,'" "kandi," 

 or other thorny trees in cultivation, and susjtendcal l)y three 

 or four twigs from the tips of the boughs well out of reach. 

 The colonies varied from eight to about fifty nests, but I 

 found one isolated colony of two n(!sts ; the material used 

 was invariably. I think, leaves of the "jowari" (Sori/hinn). 

 One colony seemed to me to be in rather a peculiar situation : 

 consisting of fifteen nests it was situated in a "kandi" grow- 

 ing out of the inside of a well, and all the nests were (juite 

 below the level of the ground. The same trees are resorted 

 to each year, and'some of the old nests utilized again if sound, 

 or patched up if not, while sometimes new nests are built on 

 to and suspended from the funnel of ohl nests. At a colony 

 on 24 June many nests woi'e being built, but some at least 

 had young in the nest ; these were fed by both parents with 

 entirely insectivorous food such as caterpillars and grass- 

 hoppers. The males at a colony are very quarrelsome and 

 pugnacious, constant bickering with neighbouring males 

 occupying most of the time in the intervals of nest-building 

 (of which they do the greater share), especially on the 

 arrival of a female. The males have a sort of display, iu the 



