228 HOMES "WITHOUT HANDS. 



appears, round, but semicircular, the arch being bound round with 

 a stronger band than usual, and the plane or base much stronger, 

 and composed of straight pieces of the stalks of the grass, evident- 

 ly for the purpose of giving to that part on which the birds perch- 

 ed greater strength and substance." 



In the right - hand lower corner of the illustration is a nest 

 of another species of Weaver Bird, the pretty Taha Weaver, 

 Euplectes Taha. 



This species, though plentiful, is rather limited in range, and, 

 according to Dr. Smith, is not seen southward of lat. 26°. North- 

 ward of that line, however, it was found in numbers, associating 

 in large flocks, and generally haunting the neighborhood of riv- 

 ers. In some places the trees that grew near the rivers were fill- 

 ed with crowds of the Taha Weaver Bird. In some localities, 

 where the ground is cultivated, the Taha Weaver is more plenti- 

 ful than is liked by the natives, for it is very destructive among 

 the gardens ; and, in places where it is very numerous, a contin- 

 ual watch must be kept lest the crop should be utterly destroyed. 

 An allied bird, Euplectes oryx, is equally destructive in the sum- 

 mer months. ' 



Although the Taha Weavers are mostly found among trees, at 

 the commencement of the breeding season they leave the branch- 

 es and retire to the reeds that fringe the river sides, and upon 

 these reeds they build their pensile nest. The plumage of the 

 Taha Weaver varies greatly according to the season of the year, 

 the yellow of the summer coat being freely interspersed with 

 brown dashes in the winter. Even the beak is said to change its 

 color, and to be lighter in the summer than in the winter. 



As in the illustration of African Weaver Birds so many nests 

 and their architects are introduced, I will give a brief summary 

 of its contents. 



In the right-hand upper corner are seen the curious nests of the 

 Mahali Weaver, accompanied by the birds themselves. Just be- 

 low the Mahali are several rows of nests pendent from boughs. 

 These are the homes of the Spotted Weaver, and are represented 

 as attacked by monkeys, which are being ducked for their pains, 

 and will not succeed in reaching the nests. The monkey is the 

 vervet, Cercopithecus pygeryihrus, commonly called the green mon- 

 key, and is of tlje species that so frequently accompany organ- 



