92 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



WEAVING FINCHES. 



WE now come to a genus of small and nearly allied birds, the 

 position of which has not been satisfactorily settled by scientific 

 Ornithologists. 



As already pointed out ; Dr. Sharpe, whilst he temporarily refers 

 Phonipara to the Grosbeaks ; expresses the opinion that it may prove to 

 be a Bunting. But is it not possible that it may be an aberrant group 

 of the allied family of Weavers ? 



One of the characteristics of the Fringillida is, that they build open 

 cup-shaped nests : the Ploceidce, on the other hand, construct domed, 

 cave-shaped, or inverted bottle-shaped nests. The species of Phonipara 

 make domed or cave-like nests, the hole being at the front and rather 

 large. 



As an amateur rather than a scientific student of Ornithology : 

 this fact, taken in conjunction with its small size and great activity, 

 would lead me to place the Melodious Finch and its allies close to the 

 Waxbills : possibly it is one of those numerous transitional forms, which 

 the student of every branch of Natural Science is constantly meeting 

 with, and which ruin the best laid schemes for a satisfactory linear 

 classification.* 



I, therefore, place Phonipara at the end of the Fringillidce and 

 immediately before the Ploceidce ; commencing the latter family with 

 the Waxbills, the majority of which were formerly placed in the genus 

 " Estrelda " or Estrilda as it is now called. 



It is true that the species of Passer form purse or bag-shaped nests ; 

 which, superficially resemble those of the Weavers ; but the entrance 

 to a Sparrow's nest is at the top : in fact the construction of such a 

 nest is practically a cup-shape, with the sides produced upwards and 

 contracted towards the ultimate opening : in the case of the European 

 Tree-Sparrow, which builds in hollow trees, the contraction is very 

 slight, and the opening is consequently proportionately wide. 



* Of course a linear classification is hopelessly unnatural, but it is the only one which can be 

 practically followed in Catalogue and Cabinet. A.G.B. 



