We A VER-BlRDS. 



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birds in our northern climate. With judicious treatment they can be wintered without 

 artificial heat, and will breed readily if one or two points are kept in view. Notwith- 

 standing his restless and excited temperament, the Weaver-bird is apt to become fat when 

 in his winter plumage. At that time he should be kept only on millet and canary seed, 

 of which he will consume a great deal if unlimited quantities are supplied. Plenty of 

 green-meat should be added. If kept very warm the change of plumage takes place in May; 

 if the temperature is cool the Weavers will not come into colour until June or July. At that 

 time a little animal food should be given, such as ants' eggs, a few mealworms, egg-food, 

 and fine German paste, and this addition to his rations should be maintained during the 

 breeding-season, that is, while the bird is in colour, if breeding is attempted, and until the 

 Weavers have fairly completed moulting at the end of the season. 



Like the Whydah-birds, most of the male Weavers undergo a most complete change 

 not of plumage, but of appearance, with the approach of their breeding season. Dr. Russ 

 has collected some interesting facts on this point from his own and the observations of 

 some amateurs. 



The most gorgeous Weaver-birds, the Oryx, the Bishop, and the Napoleon, look in their 

 winter undress — and the females all the year round — -something like hen-sparrows. In full 

 colour they are rich velvet-like black and orange, or black and bright yellow. This change 

 takes place by the tips of the brown feathers changing colour, and a multitude of small 

 tinted feathers growing between the old feathers. When the moult occurs these short 

 tinted feathers are shed first, and subsequently the other plumage is renewed, with the 

 sober-coloured brown winter plumage. 



Whether these splendid Weaver-birds come into full colour in their second or third 

 year has not, I think, been satisfactorily determined as yet. The females are nearly 

 valueless, and the long period during which breeders have to wait before they can know 

 whether young birds are male or female is a great drawback to breeding. I once 

 bought forty Bishops out of colour just arrived, by way of experiment, at one shilling per 

 head, to try whether the experienced dealers could pick out the males. The lot would 

 surely have been sorted, before it was given away at such a price. In the course of the 

 first two years about ten young male Bishops grew gradually into superb plumage, about 

 twenty were the red-faced Weaver-birds, and the few remaining were Bishop hens. 



GRENADIER WEAVER-BIRD [Euplectes oryx), West Africa. (Illustrated.) 

 Floceus oryx (Russ), Emberiza oryx, Loxia oryx, Coccothraustes oryx. Oryx oryx, Pyromelmna oryx, Euplecfes Sundrjalli. 

 English dealers' name — Oryx Weaver-bird, or Oryx Bisliop, or Grenadier Bishop. German name — " Oryx Webervogel, " 

 or " Doppelter Feuerweber." French name — "Oryx," or " Le Grenadier." 



■The Grenadier, as well as the Crimson-crowned, the Orange, and the Black-bellied 

 Weaver-birds are known in bird-dealers' parlance as Bishops, by reason of their plumage being 

 a rich black and crimson, black and orange, or black and yellow, and are birds of great 

 splendour. The name of Grenadier Weaver-bird, or Grenadier Bishop, is in so far happily 

 chosen, as the bird so called compares in size to the other Bishop Weavers like a Grenadier 

 to a militia-man, being perceptibly larger. His colours are better described by the illus- 

 tration than by any verbal description. Besides the difference in size, the Grenadier, or 

 Oryx, cannot be mistaken for the similarly-coloured, smaller Orange Bishop, because the 

 entire head of the latter is black, whilst the head of the Oryx is orange-red at the top as 

 far as the upper mandible, the sides of the head and the lower part of it being black. 



