334 



ON SAFAEI 



Athi Bush-Lark — M. atlii. This frequents more open country 

 than the last, induding the open grassy plains, where I 

 found a nest containing a single young bird on quite bare 

 ground on February 4, the owner showing rufous-brown 

 wings as she rose (p. 214). We also found it nesting at 

 Elmenteita in September. 



Large Buntings Avith bright yellow breasts, and various 

 Serin-like birds, are conspicuous, the latter specially numerous at 

 Ehiienteita and Nakuru.^ 



Weaver-Birds 



Africa counts some 250 species, 

 divided into 62 genera, all more or less 

 related to the Finches. 



Over the whole country one sees 

 their nests ; often every branch of a tree 

 will be bent down with scores of pendent 

 grass-built structures, separate or semi- 

 detached. Favourite sites are palmites 

 and forest-trees that fringe river-banks, 

 the lower nests almost dipping to the 

 surface as branches sway in a breeze. 

 Even lowly bushes, where they overhang 

 water, are occupied. The eggs,, like the 

 birds, are sparrow-like. At Baringo, 

 nests contained both eggs and young in August. 



The Social Weavers {Philxterus) build nests which can only 

 1)6 described as confluent, joined together by the hundred under 

 a common roof — see sketch at p. 58. BeimUicaines the French 

 happily term these little architects. Another group {Hyphan- 

 ,tornis) weave their nests separately on to tall reeds growing in 

 water, as shown at p. 250. Other forms are figured at p. 67. 



Weaver-birds of one genus or another nested alike at 

 Mombasa and in every wooded region that we visited — up to 

 the Sotik. 



At Mombasa one of the common species is Bojer's Golden 



1 These, I find, are Canaries, of which genus some twenty-five to thirty 

 .species are recognised in Africa. 



A WEAVER. 



