248



A. Ezra.—Successful Rearing of Reiclienow’s Weaver



Nightingale, a bird of the year, is constantly around the house or on a

small sunken lawn where there is a pond. This would not be so unusual

if it were the same bird, but it is not. Each year it is a young bird

which behaves precisely the same as its predecessors did.



SUCCESSFUL REARING OF REICHENOW’S


WEAVER


(Otyphantes reichenowi)


By Alfred Ezra


This pretty Weaver lives in Kenya Colony, between Mount Kenya

and Kilimanjaro. The female differs from the male in having the entire

top and sides of the head black. In their native country they breed

in October and again in May, according to Hinde, but Jackson found

them breeding at Nandi in July, and reports that the nest resembles

that of the common Yellow Weaver, which was built in a small tree,

about ten feet from the ground. It contained three eggs, white or

blue with big brown spots. They do not seem to nest in colonies, but

isolated. Usually they are seen singly or two or three together, some¬

times eight or ten. For members who do not know this bird I will

give the colours.


The cock bird : Front of head yellow, back of head to middle of

back, black ; remainder of back and tail, olive green ; under parts,

yellow ; wings, black and olive-green, and black line from beak to

back of eye.


The hen bird : The same as the above, with the exception of the

head, which is all black.


My friend, Mr. Guy Falkner, gave me a lot of Weavers he had

collected last year in Kenya, and as most of the birds were in eclipse

plumage, I did not know what varieties I had. These were all turned

out into a large aviary last April. The birds got into colour in May,

and soon began building. A nest that was built by a pair of silver¬

eared Mesias in a cupressus, and used as a sleeping place by them, was

commandeered by the Weavers, and to this they added a good deal,

making the nest, Kidney stated, with the entrance-hole just under



