136 THE WEAVER 



The Weaver Bird is no exception. If taken young 

 it may be taught almost anything. Jerdon quotes 

 the following account of its performances from Mr. 

 Blyth : " The truth is that the feats performed 

 by trained Bayas are really very wonderful, and 

 must be witnessed to be fully credited. Exhibitors 

 carry them about, we believe, to all parts of the country, 

 and the usual procedure is, when ladies are present, 

 for the bird, on a sign from its master, to take a 

 cardamom, or sweetmeat, in its bill and deposit it 

 between a lady's lips, and repeat this offering to every 

 lady present, the bird following the look and gesture 

 of its master. A miniature cannon is then brought, 

 which the bird loads with coarse grains of powder, 

 or more commonly with small balls of powder made 

 up for the purpose ; it next seizes and skilfully uses 

 a small ramrod, and then it takes a lighted match from 

 its master, which it applies to the touch-hole. We 

 have seen the little bird apply the match five or six 

 times successively before the powder ignited, which it 

 finally did with a report loud enough to alarm all the 

 crows in the neighbourhood, while the little Baya 

 remained perched on the cannon, apparently quite 

 elated with its performance." 



Jerdon also says that the Weaver Bird is very ready 

 to make its nest and bring up a family in captivity if 

 it is only allowed room enough. 



