214 Bird-keeping. 



in changing their plumage twice in the year, though 

 they have not their long tails. Most of them have 

 strong conical curved beaks, round wings, strong and 

 large feet and legs. They are found in Africa and India, 

 and in the Asiatic islands, and are chiefly interesting 

 from their wonderful ingenuity and dexterity in 

 weaving. The BAYA BIRD or PHILIPPINE WEAVER 

 (Ploceus Baya or Philippinus) is a well-known bird of 

 this family, renowned all over the world for its curious 

 bottle-nests. It is not very often kept in confinement, 

 except in large collections of birds. Dr. Russ had a 

 colony of these birds in his bird-room, nearly all males, 

 which were very interesting to watch, weaving one 

 nest after another, which served as excellent nesting- 

 places for the smaller birds, many of whose eggs he 

 found in them. He says that he put some damp clay 

 within their reach, to see if they would put lumps of 

 it inside their nests, as they often do in their native 

 country, but it was never touched. After it was thrown 

 away, however, he found that one old Baya Bird, which 

 had made a very large nest for his family, and a large 

 " toy nest " for himself, had fastened on each side of 

 the latter lumps of the soaked egg-bread given to him 

 for food. Several of these nests of the Bayas and 

 other Weavers were exhibited at the Crystal Palace 

 Bird Show last year. These birds eat canary and 

 millet-seed, and hemp occasionally, and require insect 

 food, ants' eggs, mealworms, etc,, sometimes. The 



