8 20 The Sparrow-like Birds 



up a constant chattering and chirping which in chorus sounds fairly attractive. 

 Many of them make attractive cage birds and are frequently kept in confinement. 



Olive-and-yellow Weaver-bird. As an example of a large, exclusively Afri- 

 can genus in which the nostrils are oval and practically covered by the plumes 

 at the base of the bill and a horny membrane, and the plumage shows much 

 of bright yellow, we may select the Olive-and-yellow Weaver-bird (Hyphan- 

 tornis olivaceus) of the more southern districts of South Africa. It is a fairly 

 common species in many localities, being usually observed in flocks of from ten 

 to fifteen individuals, and Mr. Ayres reports them as being exceedingly fond of 

 sucking the nectar from the plumes of the cape-broom, a thorny tree which 

 bears a bright scarlet blossom before the leaves appear; they also feed to some 

 extent on insects. They place their nests indiscriminately over the driest spots 

 or over water, sometimes attaching them to trees and at other times to reeds, 

 in the latter case being woven to two or more of the stems. The nests are com- 

 posed of the leaves of the reeds torn into strips, in shape being like a retort with 

 the neck cut off, the opening downward, and there is a sort of bar across the 

 entrance which prevents the eggs from rolling out. The nests are warmly lined 

 with the soft flowering heads of grass, and the eggs, two or three in number, 

 are a beautiful green without spots. This species is easily distinguished by its 

 large size, the length being about seven inches, and by the absence of black on 

 the head and throat, the main color being yellow, washed with greenish yellow 

 on back of the neck and shoulders. An inch less in length and having the fore- 

 head, sides of the head, and throat black is the Black-fronted Weaver-bird 

 (H. velatus), also of South Africa. In Natal, Mr. Ayres states, " these birds 

 are gregarious and are troublesome to all cereal crops as they live almost entirely 

 upon grain and grass seeds. They build their nests invariably amongst reeds 

 which grow in swamps and shallow water. Whilst building they have a curious 

 habit of hanging by their feet from their nests, and, with wings extended, droop- 

 ing and fluttering, they sway themselves slowly from side to side; this has a very 

 pretty effect when a number of nests are close together and all in about the same 

 stage of building." 



Red-billed Weaver-bird. Distinguished at once by their much larger size 

 and nearly uniform black plumage are the several species of the genus Textor, 

 all of which are confined to Africa. One of the best-known is the Red-billed 

 Weaver-bird (T. niger}, which has the stout bill orange-red or coral-red and the 

 legs salmon-color. Regarding this species, Mr. Andersson writes as follows: 

 "This large Finch-like bird is rather common in Damara Land and also in the 

 Lake regions, and is a noisy species, gregarious in its habits, breeding in colonies, 

 and constructing many nests in the same tree. These collective nests consist 

 externally of an immense mass of dry twigs and sticks, in which are to be found 

 from four to six separate nests or holes of oval form, composed of dry grass only, 

 but united to each other by intricate masses of sticks, defying the ingress of any 

 intruder except a small snake. In each of these separate holes are laid three 

 or four eggs, exactly resembling Sparrows' eggs, but much larger." This species 

 feeds upon seeds, berries, and insects. 



