EGG-EATER AT WORK. 



Fig. 47. — An Egg-eater doing his best to find a way into a Weaver bird's nest. This is the nest of Smith's 

 Weaver Bird (Sitagra capensis) which youngsters know as a Bottle Fink. This crafty Fink builds its 

 nest at the extreme end of a branch, so that its enemies, the wild cats and snakes, may not be able 

 to reach it. As an additional security, it makes a long tube to the nest so that, even if a cunning serpent 

 should reach its home, as was the case in this instance, it could not get inside, because if it tried to 

 climb down the tube, it would fall off to the ground. The second picture shows an Egg-cater robbing 

 the nest of a Warbler in an " Evergreen" bush, his head and neck are inside the nest. The third picture 

 shows an Egg-eater, from Natal. This specimen is 2 feet 10 inches long. Its upper parts are of a dull 

 reddish-brown colour, with a slight tinge of olive. The under-parts are light yellow. This is one of the 

 varieties of Dasypeltis scabra. In the corner of the picture is seen a portion of the backbone, and 

 also a section of the gullet, showing a few of the gular teeth protruding. 



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