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CHAPTER XI. 
PENSILE BIRDS. 
Weaver Birds and their general habits — The Mahali Weaver Bird— 
Shape of the nest— Singular defence — Remarkable nests of Weavers — Very 
curious contrivance — The Gold-capped Weaver — Structure and situation 
of the nest — The Tailor Bird — Structure of the nest — The Fan-tailed 
Warbler— Singular method of fixing its nest. 
Although the majority of nest-making birds may be called 
Weavers, there is one family to which the name is par excellence 
and with justice applied. These are the remarkable birds which 
are grouped together under the name of Ploceidae, all being 
inhabitants of the hot portions of the old world, such as Asia 
and Africa. 
For the most part, the Weaver Birds suspend their nests to 
the ends of twigs., small branches, drooping parasites, palm- 
leaves, or reeds, and many species always hang their nests over 
water, and at no very great height above its surface. The object 
of this curious locality is evidently that the eggs and young 
should be saved from the innumerable monkeys that swarm in 
the forests, and whose filching paws would rob many a poor 
bird of its young brood. As, however, the branches are very 
slender, the weight of the monkey, however small the animal 
may be, is more than sufficient to immerse the would-be thief 
in the water, and so to put a stop to his marauding pro- 
pensities. 
Snakes, too, also inveterate nest-robbers, some of them living 
almost exclusively on young birds and eggs, are effectually de- 
barred from entering the nests, so that the parent birds need 
not trouble themselves about either foe. Although they may 
repose in perfect safety, undismayed by the approach of either 
snake or monkey, they never can see one of their enemies 
