Tin: .v.i in / 1 WEAVER fi/i;n 



. ; ; 



TIIK SOCIABLE WBAVKR Bum is found in several part* ..f Africa, and has always attracted 



ill- :itt.-iiti..n <>f tni\eii,.i>. from the very remarkabl, .-liti,-.. hich it .onstrocta. The bugp 

 *M-ial nest* ,f this Unl opinions an to be n..t.-il.|,. ,,|ij,*-t milm* iHnm-, 



and it i> found that the\ aiv -.-n, -rally luiilt in tli. l>r.m. h.-, ,,f the ^inlT.- thorn flT " fcimool 

 dorn." one of the aca.-ia iriU\ on \\liich tin- -inlTe in f,,n,l uf f.isling, and which i- (-|-. 

 valuable in S.uth.-ni Africa for tlif hnnliwtM of itn (MM |. f nmi VN |,j,.|, the axl-tlC of wmgona, 

 handles of a^ricultunil tools, and flu- >ti..n^.-si timU.,-* of IIOM--S ,,,. ,. lin |v 



-io\\-, in tip MI..-! aild distriotB, ii IK I \ I 1 >.-i\ snitai>l- for the |>nr|x>< of the Sociable 



UVnv.T Mini, \\lii.-li hn* a rurioiiH attarliiin'iit to dry lo-.ilr I..KI water. 



SOCIABLE 



THE M \ n \ T i WEAVER BIRD is alao an inhabitant of Africa, and has a rather large rang* 

 of country, being found spread over the land as far wrath an the tropic of Capricorn, and prob- 

 ably to a still farther extent. 



The nest of this bird is qnite as remarkable as that of th- preceding specie*. In general 

 shape and size it somewhat resembles the reed-covered bottles whirh are oftn to U- *--n in tin- 

 windows of wine importers, being shaped somewhat like a flask, or ix-rh!ij>s iimn- lik- : com- 

 mon skittle, and being composed of a number of very thick grass stem* laid lont:itiidinully, 

 and interwoven in a mann.-r that can hardly be understood without an illustration. Contrary 

 to the usual custom of nests, in which the materials an- woven very smoothly, the nefft of thin 

 bird is purposely constnicN-d so as to present the roughest jiossible exterior, all the grass stem* 

 being so arranged that their hn.k.-n ends protrude for several inche in a manner that remind* 

 the observer of a military "abattis," a def, -n. -.- formed by prostrate trees with the ends of the 

 branches cut off and sharpened. Probably thin structure is f,,r the Mine purpose a- 

 abattis, and is meant to protect the bird from the inroad of its enemies. Several of 

 curious edifices may be seen in the natural muums. The interior of the nest is soffldently 

 soft and warm, more so, indeed, than would be supposed from the porcupine-like aspect of the 

 exterior walls. 



