PLOCEUS PHILIPPINES. 643 



round Mount Aboo in the cold season, and also in the surrounding districts, according to Mr. Hume. It has 

 lately been added to the avifauna of Sindh on the evidence of a single specimen procured in the Kurrachee 

 collectorate. Crossing the empire to the eastward, we find it in the North-west Provinces and Central Bengal, 

 and throughout Chota Nagpur, where Mr. Ball found it abundant. In the region lying along the east coast 

 between the Ganges and the Godaveri, the same writer records it from many places, such as Bardwan, 

 Manbhum, Lohardugga, Singhbhum, Orissa, south of Mahanadi, Nowagarh, and Karial; and Mr. Hume 

 notes it from Raipur and Sambalpur in the same district. From Furreedpore, Eastern Bengal, Mr. Cripps 

 records a Ploceus in abundance, but, not having kept specimens of it, he is unable to say whether it was the 

 continental Indian or the Nepal bird. 



Habits. — This Weaver-bird is found about the borders of open land or scrubby wastes in the vicinity of 

 water more frequently than away from it. It affects low trees, palms, strips of jungle between paddy-fields 

 and the like, and congregates in large flocks, which keep up an incessant chattering and a repetition of long- 

 drawn sibilant whistles on the part of the males, which appear to be uttered as an encouragement to the females 

 during the process of building their laboriously constructed nests. The energy displayed, particularly on the 

 part of the male, in the construction of these wonderful structures, and the extraordinary aptitude which they 

 show for learning the tricks so well known in India, entitle the Weaver-bird to a high place among the 

 intelligent members of the feathered creation. A young pair which I endeavoured to rear at Galle, but which 

 fell a prey to rats, displayed signs of unusual intelligence at a very early age. As soon as they were fledged 

 they recognized me, and knew well when to expect their food, fluttering along the floor when let out of their 

 cage, and scrambling up my legs into my lap to get fed. 



The account by Blyth of the performances of the Baya in India, which is quoted in Jerdon, is so interesting 

 that I cannot do better than transcribe it here for my readers. After stating that exhibitors carry them about 

 to all parts of the country, he says : — " The usual procedure is, when ladies are present, for the bird, on a sign 

 from its master, to take a sweatmeat in its bill and deposit it between a lady's lips, and repeat this offering to 

 every lady present, the bird following the look and gesture of its master. A miniature cannon is then brought, 

 which the bird loads with coarse grains of powder one by one, or more commonly with small balls of powder 

 made up for the purpose ; it next seizes and skilfully uses a small ramrod, and then takes a lighted match from 

 its master, which it applies to the touch-hole." He further remarks, " We have seen the little bird apply the 

 match five or six times successively before the powder ignited, which it finally did, with a report loud enough 

 to alarm all the crows in the neighbourhood, while the little Baya remained perched on the gun, apparently 

 quite elated with its performance." 



The Baya has a strong rapid flight; it roosts in flocks, and not unfrequently resorts to large reed-beds, in 

 common with the next species, and there takes up its quarters for the night in company with flocks of Munias. 

 It is very destructive in paddy-fields, establishing itself in the vicinity of these in large colonies, and feeding 

 greedily on the grain. Its movements about the country are no doubt regulated, to a certain extent, by the time 

 of harvest in different districts ; and when it takes up its quarters in the vicinity of large paddy-fields before 

 they are cut, it usually takes advantage of the abundance of material and commences to breed, constructing 

 its nest of the blades of com. 



Nidification. — In the south-west and south of Ceylon the Common Weaver-bird breeds from May and 

 June until August, and in the north from October until January. It chooses trees standing in open places or 

 on the borders of fields, cheenas, lakes, &c, and nearly always associates in a large flock, which make their 

 nests in adjacent trees, suspending from one to a dozen or so to the branches of each, the whole number 

 accommodating a very large and noisy colony of these busy little architects. At times they will choose a river- 

 bank or a hanging wood on a hill-side overlooking some extensive or perhaps secluded paddy-field, and then 

 the sight of the many pendent nests swaying perchance to and fro with the wind, as one looks up at them from 

 the open beneath, is very interesting. Much has been written about the nidification of the Weaver- bird, and there 

 must be few inhabitants in Ceylon who are not familiar with its wonderful nest, the most striking part of 

 which is the long entrance-tube, which attains occasionally a length of 4 feet ! The nest is composed of those 

 materials which are abundant on the spot chosen by the colony. I have seen a whole batch of nests constructed 



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