CHAP. X. SOCIETIES OP BIRDS. 2p3 



destroy the young. The branches of this acacia are 

 also remarkably long and wide-spreading, thus allow- 

 ing sufficient room for the increasing colony ; for these 

 little birds appear to be extremely prolific."* Such is 

 the brief but highly interesting account which colonel 

 Paterson has left us of these remarkable birds, the 

 only authenticated instance, in the feathered creation, 

 of a perfect society. Unfortunately, no detailed de- 

 scription of the plumage has been furnished by our 

 author ; and the consequence is, that, to this day, we 

 know not whether the species he alludes to in the 

 above account is in our museums. The probability,, 

 however, is, that several of the same genus possess 

 similar habits : this may be gathered from the vague 

 and unsatisfactory notices which occur in the Gene- 

 ral Synopsis and the General History of Birds, 

 where several species, obviously distinct, are classed 

 under one name, merely because they build similarly 

 shaped nests. Mr. Barrow t, likewise, intimates the 

 existence of others, with which we are at present 

 totally unacquainted. But, whatever difficulty we have 

 in ascertaining the species of these birds, the dis- 

 coveries that have been effected regarding the geographic 

 distribution of the feathered class, leave us in no doubt 

 in respect to the family, and very little as to the 

 genus, to which they all belong. The weaving birds 

 (Plociancs Sw.) are strictly confined to the hot latitudes 

 of Africa and India or, more properly speaking, to 

 the Old World ; they form a distinct division (and 

 that a typical one) of the great family of finches 

 (FrirtgiltidcR Sw.). Now this family, as may be seen 

 by the analysis we have elsewhere given \, occupies an 

 aberrant station in the circle of the Conirostres, or 

 conic-billed order, precisely analogous to that station 

 which is filled by the beaver among the Glires, and 

 the order Hymenoptera among the Ptilota, or winged 

 insects. It thus appears demonstrable that the bee, 



* Trav. in Africa. f Id. ibid. 



J_North. ZooL vol. ii. 



u 3 



