THE BAYA WEAVER. 317 



his examples, since (as already shown) my birds have always proved 

 themselves mischievous and malicious thieves. As Dr. Russ says, the 

 nests built in the bird-room differ chiefly from those built in a state 

 of freedom in their materials : he observes that like other Weavers 

 they prefer aloe and agave fibre to anything else ; indeed he states 

 that they refused many other kinds of nesting-material, such as dry 

 and fresh grass, cocoa and bast-fibre. My own birds build chiefly with 

 hay, they have used aloe fibre and bast; but then they have not always 

 been able to select their materials.* 



The development of the brood is said to be similar to that of the 

 Red-billed Weaver : Dr. Russ, however, states that in his bird-room he 

 had eighteen examples together representing the four species, and he 

 found it very difficult to take observations of their habits when 

 nesting ; he bred the Bengal and Manyar Weavers and the young 

 seemed to resemble the adult hens ; the Masked Weaver built from 

 time to time, and the Ornamental Finches utilized the nests for their 

 own purposes. In the matter of feeding the young and all else, the 

 treatment is the same as for the Red-billed Weaver. 



Somewhat similar to the Baya Weaver, but far more handsome, is 

 the African Rufous-necked Weaver, of which I long possessed a beautiful 

 male example. Unhappily I turned him into my aviary of Ideridce and 

 they must have pecked his feet, since he soon became to all appearance 

 permanently lame, and never attempted the construction of one of those 

 marvellous nests for which he is famous; in the winter of 1894-5 he 

 died. I have since obtained the Half-masked and Abyssinian Weavers, 

 and find them very hard}'. 



The Weavers are a large family , of which, from time to time, 

 many species come to hand in a few heads only : to fully illustrate and 

 describe all of these, would almost require a separate work. I have, 

 therefore, confined myself to some of the most beautiful, or more 

 frequently imported. 



The illustrations are from living males in the author's collection, 

 and from skins. 



* Unpaired males are quite unable to complete a nest ; as they require the assistance of the 

 female in plaiting the receptacle for the eggs: this fact has given rise to the mistaken notion 

 that the incomplete nests are built designedly as roosting shelters. A.G.B. 



