on the Nesting of Hyphantornes.



37



These moulted well about April and, when this operation was com¬

plete, the question of identification of the species began. This is no

doubt comparatively simple when one can actually handle the birds

and compare them with the excellent series of skins at South Ken¬

sington. But it is quite a different matter in a large out-door aviary.

However, to the best of my belief, the hens they may be labelled as

follows :—four Rufous-necked Weavers, one Spotted-backed Weaver

and one Spekes Weaver (Hyphantornis spekei).


I already had in the aviary five cocks of the Rufous-necked

Weaver and one Spotted-backed Weaver. The latter, though in

magnificent plumage and health, is I fear feeling the effects of

Anno Domini.


Each of these six cocks marked out as his strict territory a

portion of the aviary where he commenced nest-building operations

and permitted no invasion. I should perhaps add no male invasion,

for the periodic inspection of his handiwork by each of the hens

threw him into an apparent ecstasy of joy, and one began to wonder

how long his vocal chords would hold out. If ladies may be

described as capricious the ones in question certainly carried out

the traditions of their sex, for the inspection was most casual, and

seemed to invariably end in stern disapproval both of the architect

and his handiwork.


The ancient Spotted-backed cock was if anything the most

industrious and, if human opinion is of value, certainly the best

workman, for his nests were stronger, thicker, and more neatly

finished than those of his rivals. I only hope that he derived

satisfaction from these facts, as personally he was, and remains a

dead failure with the fair sex.


The most vigorous of the Rufous-necked cocks appropriated

as his reserve the interior of the bird-house, where on a single

branch he constructed with great rapidity some twelve to fifteen

nests, some of them almost touching each other.


Whether or not he had in himself some special attractions,

or whether his architecture possessed some unique quality I do not

know, but the fact remains that he speedily focussed the attention

of all the hens and became a polygamist six times over.


I think myself that the hens were attracted by the idea of



