The Giant Weaver. 163 



I do not consider tliem hardy, and lost all I attempted to 

 keep during the moulting season; the reproduction of their 

 feathers seeming to exhaust the birds, which died either during, 

 or immediately after moult. 



Mr. Wiener, on the other hand, "found this bird quite 

 hardy, and ever lively and in good condition", so that I 

 must have been as exceptionally unfortunate with them, as 

 Mr. Gedney was with his Saffron Finches: however I did 

 not consider them sufficiently interesting to make it worth my 

 while to try them a second time. 



The Combassou is a native of the western parts of Africa, 

 and is especially abundant in Abyssinia, where it is said to 

 ■occupy the place of the Sparrow in this country. 



CHAPTER LVI. 



THE GIANT WEAVES. 



ONCE upon a time, several years ago, I saw an advertisement 

 in the Exchange and Mart, to the effect that some one 

 wanted to exchange a pair of "Orioles" for a pair of Budger- 

 igars; and as I had a number of the latter birds, and none 

 of the former, I replied, and in due course received the birds: 

 which turned out not to be Orioles at all, but a kind of 

 Weaver-bird as large as the Grey Eed-crested Cardinal. 



They, the cock especially, were very showy and handsome 

 birds, green, yellow and black, with a bold, independent carriage, 

 that made them look handsomer still. 



The female was darker, less brilliant in her colours, and 

 considerably smaller than her mate, who had a loud and not 

 unmusical whistle, while she was exceptionally mute. 



Not exactly liking the look of their powerful black beaks 

 and feet, I hesitated to introduce them to the company of 



