Page:The Common Birds of Bombay.djvu/152

136 The Weaver Bird is no exception. If taken young it may be taught almost anything. Jerdon quotes the following account of its performances from Mr. Blyth:—"The truth is that the feats performed by trained Bayas are really very wonderful, and must be witnessed to be fully credited. Exhibitors carry them about, we believe, to all parts of the country, and the usual procedure is, when ladies are present, for the bird, on a sign from its master, to take a cardamom, or sweetmeat, in its bill and deposit it between a lady's lips, and repeat this offering to every lady present, the bird following the look and gesture of its master. A miniature cannon is then brought, which the bird loads with coarse grains of powder, or more commonly with small balls of powder made up for the purpose; it next seizes and skilfully uses a small ramrod, and then it takes a lighted match from its master, which it applies to the touch-hole. We have seen the little bird apply the match five or six times successively before the powder ignited, which it finally did with a report loud enough to alarm all the crows in the neighbourhood, while the little Baya remained perched on the cannon, apparently quite elated with its performance."

Jerdon also says that the Weaver Bird is very ready to make its nest and bring up a family in captivity if it is only allowed room enough.