20 SOCIAL HABITATIONS. 
dimensions by the labours of those birds which choose to 
associate in common. ‘The first task of this Weaver Bird 
is to procure a large quantity of the herb which really 
seems as if made expressly for the purpose. This is a grass 
with a very large, very tough, and very wiry blade, which 
is known to the colonists as Booschmannie grass, probably 
because it grows plentifully in that part of Southern Africa 
where the Bushmen or Bosjesmans live. 
They carry this grass to some suitable tree, which is 
usually a species of acacia, called by the Dutch colonists 
Kameel-dorn, because the giraffe, which the Dutch persist 
in calling a kameel or camel, is fond of grazing on the 
leaves. This is a most appropriate tree for the purpose, 
as the wood is extremely hard and tough, and the branches 
are therefore able to bear the great weight of the nests, 
This tree is used in Southern Africa for many purposes 
wherein hardness and endurance are required, such as the 
axle-trees of the wooden waggons, which have to with- 
stand such rough usage, the upright timbers of houses, 
and the handles of tools, especially those which are in- 
tended for agricultural purposes. 
The birds then hang the Booschmannie grass over a 
suitable branch, and by means of weaving and plaiting it, 
they form a roof of some little size. Under this roof are 
placed a quantity of nests, increasing in number with each 
successive brood. ‘The nests are set closely together, so 
that at last they look like a mass of grass pierced with 
numerous holes, and it is really wonderful that the birds 
should be able to find their way to their own particular 
homes. To human eyes, the nests are as much alike as 
the houses in a modern street, before the blinds, the flowers, 
and other additions have communicated an individuality 
to each dwelling ; but, notwithstanding this similarity, the 
inmates glide in and out without any hesitation. 
