110 BIRD ARCHITECTS 



There is a smaller species — ^length, 5| inches — ^resembling 

 the Masked Weaver (if. auricapillus), but of a more brightly 

 tinted yeUow, which is found in the Pretoria Bushveld, 

 northwards to the Zambesi. We discovered it fairly plentiful 

 along the Crocodile Eiver, north of the Magaliesberg range, 

 where it was nesting in colonies in the willow and other 

 trees overhanging the river. The nests appeared to be 

 smaller than those of the Masked Weaver. 



The Yellow Weaver {H. subaureus) has no black on the 

 head, and breeds principally in' the reed-beds, constructing 

 its nest of strips of the leaves of reeds. 



The Bottle Weaver {Sitagra ocularia) resembles the Masked 

 Weaver, but has only the throat and a streak through the 

 eye black. Length, 6 inches. It is fairly common in the 

 forest districts of the Eastern Cape Colony. It constructs 

 a wonderful nest woven of grass — ^in the vicinity of Grahams- 

 town it is usually of a tough red fibre — shaped like a retort, 

 with a long neck which is frequently several feet in length. 

 The eggs are three in number, and of a white ground colour, 

 sometimes spotted with pinkish- and sometimes with purplish- 

 grey. They build occasionally in the open bush away from 

 water and are not gregarious in habits, residing usually.in pairs. 



The Cape Weaver-Bird {S. cafensis), and its Eastern and 

 Northern representative {S. c. caffra), has no black throat. 

 It is a large bird, and builds a fairly large nest, generally 

 overhanging water, and is either suspended from a tree or 

 between reeds. 



In the Central Transvaal we have found it nesting in 

 colonies amongst the eucalyptus trees growing in the vicinity 

 of water, where it suspends its nest from the lower branches 

 of the trees. 



It lays bright greenish-blue eggs. 



