3 ¿o Foreign Finches in Captivity.
1 did not find this the case at Rangoon, where mj^ opportunities of observing"
the bird were good, and believe rather that the unfinished nests are either
rejected from some imperfect construction, weak support, or other causes, if
built earlj' in the breeding season ; or, if late, that the}- are simply the efforts
of that constructive facultj' which appears, at this season, to have such a
powerful eifect on this little bird, and which causes some of them to go on
building the long tubular entrance long after the hen is seated on her eggs.
" I have generally found that the Baj-a lays only two eggs, Avhich are
long, cylindrical, and ptire white, but other obser^-ers record a larger number.
Sundevall states that he found three in one nest. Layard says from two to
four; Burgess six to eight ; Tickell six to ten. Blyth thinks that four or
five is the most ttsual number. From many obser\-ations, I consider two
to be the usual number, but have found three occasionally. In those
exceptional instances, where six or seven eggs have been found, I imagine
they must have been the produce of more than one bird. The Baya, is
stated not to use the same nest for two j-ears consecutively, and this I can
quite understand, ^\dthout having actually observed it."
" T h e Baj-a is freqnentl}- taken wlien young, tamed, and taught to pick
up rings, or such like articles, dropped down a well; or to snatch the Ticca
mark off the forehead of a person pointed out. It is also taught occasionalljr
to can-}' a note to a particular place, on a given signal."
Dr. Jerdou then proceeds to quote Mr. Blyth's account of the man}' tricks
which this bird has been taught to perform, most of which we have seen
Canaries performing in the streets of London. He then continties:—
" In an ordinary cage or aviary, thej- will employ themselves constantly,
if allowed the chance, in intertwining thread or fibres with the wires of their
prison, merel}' gratifying the constructive propensity, with apparently no further
object; unless, indeed, the sexes are matched, when thejr breed verj' readily
in captivity; of course, provided they are allowed sufficient room, as in a
spacious a\'iar^^"
Mr. Charles Home in 1869 published some interesting notes on the
nidification of the Baya, which are well worth quoting:—
" T h i s moniing (July 7th, 1865), as 1 passed our solitary palm tree
fPhmnix dactylifcraj in the field, I heard a strange twittering overhead, and
looking up saw such a prett}- sight as I shall never forget."
" In this tree hung some thirty or forty of the elegantly formed nests
of wo^-en grass of the Baya bird, so well known to all. The heavy storms
The Baya Weaver. ^31
of May and June had taken away many and damaged others, so as to render
them, as one would think, past repair. Not so thought the birds; for a party
of about sixty had come to set them all in order.
" T h e scene in the tree almost baflies description. Each bird and his
mate thought only of their own nest. How they selected it I know not, and
I should like much to have seen them arrive. I suppose the sharpest took
the best nests, for they varied much in condition. Of some of the nests,
two-thirds remained, whilst others were very neariy all blown away. Some of
the birds attempted to steal grass from other nests, but generally got pecked
awajr."
"As the wind was blowing freshly, the nests swimg about a good deal;
and it was pretty to see a little bird fly up in a great hurry with a long
bit of grass in his beak. He would sit outside the nest holding on by his
claws, with the grass under them. He would then put the right end into
the nest with his beak, and the female inside would pull it through and put
it out for him again; aud thus the plaiting of the nest went on. All this
was done amidst tremendous chattering, and the birds seemed to think it
great fun. When a piece was used up one would give the other a peck,
and he or she would fly off' for more material, the other sitting quietly till
the worker returned. Nests in every stage of building aff'orded every position
for the bird, who seemed at home in all of them. The joy, the life, the
activity, and general gaiety of the birds 1 shall never forget."
" August 18.—Noticed to-day how the birds obtain their grass. The little
bird alights at the edge of the high strong Scenta grass fAndropogon eiiripeta?)
with its head down, and bites through the edge to the exact thickness which
it requires. It then goes higher up on the same blade of grass, and having
considered the length needed, bites through it again. It then seizes it firmly
at the lowest notch and flies away. Of course, the strip of grass tears off
and stops at the notch. It then flies along, mth the grass streaming behind
it. As the edge of the grass is much serrated, the bird has to consider and
pass it through the work the right way. This serration renders it so difficult
to pull a nest to pieces, and makes the same nest last for years."
Mr. Holdsworth, in a paper on Ceylonese birds, says " I have never seen
the nest of this species in any other than ordinai-y branching trees; but
Layard says it builds on palms and other trees indiscriminately."
Dr. Russ points out that four allied species are offered in the Bird-market
under the name of Baya Weavers, viz. -.^Ploeeus baya, P. manyar, P. bengalensis