. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE M AHA LI WEAVER BIRD. 333 The Sociable Weaver Bird is found in several parts of Africa, and has always attracted the attention of travellers from the very remarkable edifice wliich it constructs. Tlie large social nests of this bird are so conspicuous as to be notable objects at many miles' distance, and it is found that they are generally built in the branches of the giraffe thorn or " kameel- dom," one of the acacia tribe, on which the giraft'e is fond of feeding, and whi
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE M AHA LI WEAVER BIRD. 333 The Sociable Weaver Bird is found in several parts of Africa, and has always attracted the attention of travellers from the very remarkable edifice wliich it constructs. Tlie large social nests of this bird are so conspicuous as to be notable objects at many miles' distance, and it is found that they are generally built in the branches of the giraffe thorn or " kameel- dom," one of the acacia tribe, on which the giraft'e is fond of feeding, and which is esi^ecially valuable in Southern Africa for the hartlness of its wood, from wliich the axle-trees of wagons, handles of agricultural tools, and the strongest timbers of houses are made. This tree only grows in the most arid districts, and is therefore very suitable for the purposes of the Sociable Weaver Bird, which has a curious attachment to dry localities far from SOCIABLE WEAVER BIKD.—PAifeter«,-indows of wine importers, being shaped somewliat like a flask, or perhaps more like a com- mon skittle, and being composed of a number of very thick grass stems laid longitudinally, and interwoven in a manner that can hardly be understood without an illustration. Contrary to the usual custom of nests, in which the materials are woven very smoothly, the nest of this bird is purposely constructed so as to present the roughest possible exterior, all the grass stems being so arranged that their broken ends protrude for several inches in a manner that reminds the observer of a military "aliattis," a defence formed by prostrate trees with the ends of the branches cut off and sharpened. Probably this structure is for the same pui-j^ose as the abattis, and is meant to protect the bird from the inroad of its enemies. Several of their curious ediflces may be seen in the natural museums. The interior of the nest is sufficiently soft and warai, more so, indeed, than w
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
