542 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



color, but the male of Jacapa has a beautiful velvety purple and black plumage, the 

 beak being partly white ; while the same sex in Episcopus is of a pale blue color, with 

 white spots on the wings. In their habits they both resemble the common house 

 sparrow of Europe, which does not exist in South America, its place being in some 

 measure filled by these familiar tanagers. They are just as lively, restless, bold, and 

 wary ; their notes are very similar, chirping and inharmonious, and they seem to be 

 almost as fond of the neighborhood of man. They do not, however, build their nests 

 on houses." 



When interpolating the weaver-birds and the American orioles, or hang-nests, 

 here, between the tanagers and the Fringillidse, as this family is generally accepted, 

 we do not wish to be understood as considering the finches to be " two families dis- 

 tant " from the tanagers. The relationship between all these four families is so inti- 

 mate, and they interdigitate in so many places, that it is impossible to give an entirely 

 satisfactory arrangement at present. It seems as if the Gordian knot can only be 

 solved by cutting the families asunder, and then re-arranging them, or by entirely 

 discarding the present family distinction, and regarding them all as members of one 

 family. 



The weaver-birds, or PLOCEID.E, are quite as characteristic of the Pala3otropical 

 countries as are the tanagers of the Neotropical. They are chiefly African, however, 

 for it is estimated that not less than four fifths of all the known species somewhat 

 over two hundred and fifty inhabit the dark continent, the rest being scattered 

 over the Oriental and Australian regions ; none are found in the Paloearctic, in New 

 Zealand, or in America. The weavers are sparrow-like or finch-like birds, usually 

 with conical, thick, and heavy bills, but with ten visible primaries. This is their 

 chief, not to say their only, distinction from the sparrows. There are three well- 

 marked types within the family, the true weaver-birds, the vida-finches, often called 

 widow-finches, and the small so-called waxbills. 



The first mentioned of these, as the name indicates, are well known for their 

 extraordinary nest-building. They are generally strongly-built birds of a sparrow's 

 size. The females and the males in autumnal plumage are mostly plain brownish 

 birds with dusky streaks and spots, but towards the breeding season the males assume 

 a new, often highly and brightly colored dress. Two typical species are figured in 

 the accompanying cut, but too little is shown of the nest to give us an idea of some 

 of these remarkable structures. I would like, however, to call the attention of the 

 reader to Fig. 124, on page 264 of this volume. On the tree in the background are 

 visible two curious roof-shaped structures, round which a number of birds are seen 

 flying. These represent the wonderful straw roofs which the sociable weavers (Phile- 

 tcerus socius) of South Africa, build. A colony of birds unite in the construction of 

 this roof, which is often so heavy that the strong branches of Acacia giraffa give 

 way under the weight. From the under side of the roof then each pair suspends 

 its own individual nest, which is woven of dry grass. The nests, often twenty to 

 forty under the same roof, with the openings downwards, are placed close together 

 and firmly connected. This structure protects the nests most effectively against 

 injury, for not only does the rain run off the sloping roof, but any enemy who wants 

 to get at the eggs or young ones is apt to slide down its slippery sides. Other species 

 build beautiful pendent retort-shaped nests which they suspend from the utmost 

 twigs of some tree overhanging a river, or from the fronds of some lofty palm, with 

 the view of securing the offspring against danger from climbing mammals or snakes. 



