148 
My Weavers and Whijdahs. 
as thej' are painted, I will now ti-y to give a few reasons 
why, I think, they should be more popular than they are: 
1. They are long-lived and hardy Dr. A. G. Eutler 
has recorded the following instances of longevity in his 
aviaries. "Napoleon 12 years. Orange 10 years. Red-billed 
14 years. Black -headed 5 years, Madagascar 12 years, Comoro 
7 years, Baya 8 years, and Grenadier 3^ years (still alive)." 
Such birds are worthy a place in every collection. 
Many times during the past few winters I have broken the 
ice in their water pans in my aviary, and they have taken 
a bath as soon as fresh water was put in, and never been 
any the worse for their tub. 
2. They can be bought for a few shillings (that is 
a goodly number of them), and where the aviculturist has to 
count the shillings before he spends them, this must prove 
a good asset in their favour. The usual price for Orange, 
Napoleon, Crimson -crowned, and Short-winged Weavers runs 
from three to six shillings, according to time they have been 
over and whether in or out of colour; a " Freely Imported 
Species " is not worth more than 5s. 6d. in colour or out, 
but aviary or cage moulted specimens may possibly realise 
10s, 6d. or more. 
If you are to get the full colour of the wild from im- 
ported birds you must resort to colour feeding*. Some say 
you cannot get this back, the reda only come orange. If any of my 
readers were at the 1913 Horticultural Hall (L.C.B.A.) Show, 
and remember the Crimson -crowned I exhibited, I fancy they 
will alter their opinion. I was asked if it was " freshly 
imported " because its colour was so good. I replied no, 
have had liim in a cage five years and he gets deeper in 
colour each moult. He takes, like most of my birds, tasteless 
cayenne pepper mixed with egg and ants' cocoons, also a 
plentiful supply of mealworms, and, to this I attribute his 
fine colour. 
(To be Continued). 
*My experience of the Weavers has been a pretty lengthj- one, 
and in the garden aviary, at any rate, I have not found the fiery reds 
and scarlets of this group fugitive, or in isolated cases only temporarily 
•0.— Ed, 
