254 
STRANGE DWELLINGS. 
but could not see his intended prey. The unlucky Hottentot, 
however, peeped over the nest in order to see whether the 
coast was clear, and was spied by the lion, who made a dash 
at the tree. The man shrank back behind the nest, but his 
imprudent movement brought its own punishment. 
Knowing that the ascent of the tree was impossible, and at 
the same time unwilling to leave its prey, the lion sat down at 
the foot of the tree, and kept watch upon the man. Hour 
after hour the lion mounted guard over its prisoner, until thirst 
overpowered hunger, and the animal was forced reluctantly to 
quit its post and seek for water. The man then scrambled 
down the tree, and made the best of his way homewards, little 
the worse for his imprisonment except the fright, and a skin 
scorched by long exposure to the sun. The artist has intro- 
duced this little episode into the illustration, because it enables 
the reader to judge of the enormous size of the nest. 
Season after season the Weaver Birds continue to add their 
nests, until at last the branch is unable to endure the weight,, 
and comes crashing to the ground. This accident does not 
often occur during the breeding months, but mostly takes place 
during the rainy season, the dried grass absorbing so much 
moisture, that the weight becomes too great for the branch to 
bear. 
The nest group which is shown in the illustration is of 
medium size, as can be ascertained by its shape. In its early 
state, the nest-mass is comparatively long and narrow, spreading 
out by degrees as the number of nests increases, so that at last 
it is as wide and as shallow as an extended umbrella. The 
dimensions of some of these structures may be gathered from 
the fact, that Le Vaillant counted in one unfinished edifice, be- 
side the deserted nests of previous seasons, no less than three 
hundred and twenty nests, each of which was occupied by a 
pair of birds engaged in bringing up a brood of young, four or 
five in number. 
The Weaver Birds have but few enemies. First, there are 
the snakes, which are such determined robbers of nests, 
swallowing both eggs and young ; and then there are the mon- 
