P.m THE TROnCAL WORLD. 



being smooth on the exterior, the ends of the thick grass stalks 

 of which it is made, protrude like 'quills upon the fretful 

 porcupine,' and pointing towards the mouth of the nest, which 

 hangs downwards, serve as eaves whereby the rain is thrown off 

 the nest. 



If the dwellings made by the generality of Weavers may be 

 likened to detached villas, eacli built apart from its neighbour, 

 those of the social Grosbeak of South Africa, an allied species, 

 deserve the name of populous cities, for here we find hundreds 

 of feathered architects uniting their labours in the construction 

 of one vast nest often large enough to shelter five or six men. 



The material used is the tough and wiry Bushman's grass ; 

 the tree usually chosen for the suspension of the nest, is a 

 species of acacia, the giraffe thorn, which derives its name 

 from its constituting the chief food of the beautiful came- 

 lopard, and on account of its size and the umbrella-shaped 

 disposition of its foliage is a great ornament to the arid wastes 

 of Caffraria. 



The instinct of the birds seems to have pointed out to them 

 that it is peculiarly adapted for the purpose, as its smooth and 

 polished bark keeps off many an enemy who, if he could ascend 

 the stem, would be but too happy to give them a friendly call ; 

 and besides, the wood is extremely hard and tough, so that the 

 branches are able to bear the great weight of the nests. 



When about to make a new construction, the birds hang the 

 Bushman's grass over a suitable branch, and by means of 

 weaving and plaiting it, form a roof of some little size. Under 

 this cover are sheltered a quantity of nests, increasing in 

 number with each new brood, for although the same nest-mass 

 is occupied for several successive seasons, the birds never breed 

 in the same nests a second time. 



In consequence of this custom, when they have to provide for 

 a new brood, they enlarge the roof, and build a second row of 

 nests just like the combs of a hornet's habitation. Layer after 

 layer is thus added, until the mass, spreading out like an extended 

 umbrella, attains so enormous a size as to be easily mistaken by 

 the traveller for a thatched dwelling erected by the natives 

 in arboreal elevation, as a defence against wild beasts. Ulti- 

 mately the branch, however strong, breaks under the ac- 

 cumulated weight, and comes crashing to the ground; an 



