578 PASSERIFORMES 



CHAP. 



with white streaks above and spots below, a yellow rump, and a 

 white middle to the under parts. Poephila mirabilis, one of the 

 " Grass-finches," shews a beautiful combination of pale green, blue, 

 lilac, scarlet, yellow, black, brown, and white ; Neochmia phaeton is 

 crimson, brown, and black ; Foudia is generally crimson and black ; 

 Hypliantornis cucullatus is golden-yellow, black, and chestnut ; 

 Ploceus baya is yellow and brown ; Textor albirostris is entirely 

 black. The bill is not uncommonly coral-red, as in Estrelda and 

 other " Wax-bills ; " but it varies from red to horn-coloured in 

 Vidua, and may be whitish, as in Textor albirostris, as well as 

 black, grey, rose-tinted, brownish, orange, or nearly blue. The 

 feet may also be red, brown, purplish, dusky, or flesh-coloured. 



Weaver-birds are generally tame, and often approach habita- 

 tions ; the larger species frequenting woods and gardens, open 

 country, sugar-cane fields, or reed-beds, but many of the smaller 

 preferring grassy flats, bushy places, or even stony hills. They 

 are usually social, and frequently pugnacious. The flight, though 

 somewhat brief and heavy, is fairly rapid ; Chera and Vidua rise 

 with arched tail, and hover with flapping wings, at times soar- 

 ing almost out of sight to descend again with great velocity. 

 Sycolrotus climbs especially well, Donacicola hangs to the reeds 

 like a Bunting, and indeed it is doubtful whether the Australian 

 forms are not really generalized Finches. The usual utterance 

 is a harsh churr, a shrill piping cry, a chattering or a twittering 

 noise, often preceded by a single mournful note ; but some species 

 sing fairly well in chorus. The food, generally procured upon the 

 ground, consists mainly of seeds, but is varied by insects occa- 

 sionally taken on the wing, fruits, and flowers ; while the birds 

 play havoc with rice and other crops, often clinging to the stems 

 until they have eaten every grain from the head. 



The nest is almost invariably a large mass of roughish grass 

 or flags, bristling with the thicker ends of the stalks ; it is usually 

 lined with finer stems, but sometimes with feathers, down, and wool, 

 while sticks, twigs, roots, and the like may be added exteriorly. 

 The fabric is normally " retort-shaped," that is to say, globular with 

 a " spout " or tubular passage, which curves downwards either from 

 the middle or from the top of one side ; but some of the struc- 

 tures resemble flasks placed horizontally ; others have little or no 

 spout, or hang by a sort of rope ; and occasionally the materials do 

 not quite meet above. Weaver-birds, especially the more typical 



