WEAVER-BIRDS BULBULS 51 



The Bed-winged Starling (Amydrus morio), Rooivlerk 

 as the Dutch term it, is glossy blue-black with reddish- 

 chestnut primary wing feathers. 



It is gregarious in habits and a great fruit thief, but 

 feeds largely on caterpillars and insects. It builds in 

 krantzes, laying three to five blue-green eggs, marked 

 with a few red-brown blotches. It has a peculiar whistle, 

 which is emitted while the bird is flying. 



WEAYER-BIRDS. 



Amongst the Weaver-Birds (Ploceidce) there are several 

 species of gregarious habits, which do a large amount of 

 damage to the ripening grain crops. These are notably 

 Quelea quelea (Pink-billed Weaver), which is easily recog- 

 nised, even in winter, by the pink colour of the bill ; the 

 Ked Bishop Bird (Pyromelana oryx) ; and the Long-tailed 

 Widow Bird (Coliopasser procne). 



In the Maroka District of the Orange River Colony, 

 and parts of Basutoland, where these birds are exceed- 

 ingly common, the natives build mounds of turf sods 

 at various points of vantage in the fields, from whence 

 lumps of clay are thrown with switches to scare away the 

 feathered marauders. Shouting and beating of empty 

 tins is also resorted to. 



We will treat of them more fully under the heading of 

 "Bird Architects." 



BULBULS. 



The Bulbuls (Pycnonotm), of which South Africa 

 possesses four species, live almost exclusively on fruits 

 and berries, so they can hardly be termed anything but 

 enemies of the farmer. Indeed, their depredations to 

 the fig and apricot crops in the Transvaal are beyond 



