496 Zoological Society. 



Though their flight appears to he inferior to that of most pigeons, 

 it is of the same swooping and continuous character. 



They retire late to roost, but are not nocturnal. 



They are generally seen either in pairs or in small flocks. The 

 largest flock seen by Lieut. Walpole consisted of nine. 



In the breeding season they pair and retire to the interior of the 

 islands, where they nest amongst the rocks. 



Lieut. Walpole does not know the colour or number of the eggs, 

 but states that the young are naked and helpless. 



The male bird is superior to the female in size, colour, and carriage, 

 but does not attain his full plumage until the second year. 



The natives of the Samoon Islands are fond of keeping the Didun- 

 culi tame as pets, either taking them from the nest, or, when older, 

 with bird-lime. 



They attach the bird by a long string fastened round one leg to a 

 stick about two feet in length, with a fork at the end, which is stuck 

 generally in the wall inside the hut, but sometimes in the ground 

 outside. 



The natives, when they walk, often carry with them these sticks 

 with the birds attached, and train the birds to leave the stick occa- 

 sionally and hover above it till it is again presented for the bird to 

 perch on, — the line by which it is attached being long enough to ad- 

 mit of this operation. 



July 27, 1852.— G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., in the Chair. 



Note on the Indian Weaver-bird (Ploceus Philippensis). 

 By Lieut. Burgess. 



The dimensions of the male are as follows : — Length 6^ inches ; 

 from the carpal joint to the end of the longest quill- feather, 2f inches. 

 Irides dark brown ; beak bluish black ; base of the lower mandible 

 dull yellow on the underside ; legs, feet and claws pale flesh-coloured 

 brown. 



Length 6^ inches ; from the carpal joint to the end of the longest 

 quill-feather, 2f inches. Beak yellowish horn colour ; base of both 

 mandibles, especially that of the lower, duU brownish orange ; legs, 

 feet and claws as in the male. 



These pretty little birds are sociable in their habits, building seve- 

 ral nests on the same tree. The nests are of beautiful construction, 

 shaped like a ball, with a long pendent tube. They are generally 

 formed of a species of strong wiry grass, but in places where the 

 date-palm grows, they are made with fine fibres, split by these little 

 architects out of the small spiked side-leaflets of the branches. Both 

 male and female work, though the male appears to prefer looking on 

 and squabbling with his neighbours to building. When a blade of 

 grass or fibre has been brought to the nest, considerable time is re- 

 quired to work it into the growing fabric, the builder weaving both 

 on the outside and inside. The entrance tube is a most beautiful 

 piece of workmanship, and in many nests is nearly a foot long. When 

 these birds commence building, they almost invariably fix upon a 



