WEAVER. 384 "WEAVING. career he supported 'Lotta' { playing Quilp in lier Little yell and the Marchioness, Boston, 180G), Mnie. Janauschek, J. B. Booth, Tommaso Salvini (-nith wliom he played lago), Mrs. Langtry, Julia ilarlowe, Stuart Eobson (with whom he played Doctor Johnson in Oliver Goldsmith), and other well-known stars. His last part was that of the Due de Brissac in Dii Barrii. with Mrs. Carter, which he played till the illness that ended with his death, in Philadelphia. He left a son, Henrv A. Weaver, Jr. (1858—), also an actor. Consult Clapp and Edgett. Players of the Present (New York, Dunlap Society Publica- tions. 1901). WEAVER, .James B.ird (1833—). An American politician, born at Dayton, Ohio. He graduated at the Oliio University Law School at Cincinnati in 185G, then removed to Iowa, and there began the practice of his profession. Dur- ing the Civil War he enlisted in the Second Iowa Volunteers, eventually became colonel of the regiment, and in 18C5 was brevetted brigadier- general of volunteers. From 180G to 1870 he was district attorney for the Second Judicial District of Iowa, and from 1807 to 1873 was an assessor of the United States internal revenue. For a time he edited the loica Tribune at Des Moines. He was active in the organization of the National Greenback Party, was elected to represent that party in Congress in 1878, and in 1880 was its candidate for the Presidency, receiving a popular vote of 308,.57S. In 1884 and 1886 he was again elected to Congress by a fusion of Democrat and Greenback votes, but was defeated in 1888. In 1892 he was the candidate of the People's Party for the Presidency, receiving 22 electoral votes, and a popular vote of 1,041,028. In 1901 he be- came jNIayor of Colfax, Iowa. He published A Call to Action (1892). WEAVER, .ToxATiiAN (1824-1901). A bishop of the United Brethren in Christ. He was born in Carroll County, Ohio; entered the university in 1847 and became bishop in 180.5; in 1893 he was made emeritus. He wrote much for the Church organ. The Religious Telescope, and imb- lished several volumes, including Vniversal Res- toration yot Sustained ly the ^'ord of God (1878) and A Practical Comment on the Confes- sion of Faith of the United Brethren (1892). Consult the biography by Thompson (Dayton, 1902) ; and Berger, History of the United Breth- ren in Christ (Dayton, 1897). WEAVER-BIRD. The popular name for a group of hinls. forming the family Ploceida>, very similar to the finches. The name has reference to the remarkable structure of the nests of these birds, which are w^oven in a very wonderful man- ner of various vegetable substances. About 250 species of Ploceida; are known, of which 200 are found in Africa, and the remainder in tropical Asia, the Philippines and other East Indian islands, and in Australia. They are small birds, with a strong conical bill, sometimes coral red. The claws are large and very long. The wings are pointed, the first quill remarkably short. The plumage is frequently handsomely colored, many of the South African species being black and red, orange, or yellow, and some of them are much like the American orioles. There is great diversity in the form and appearance of the nests constructed by different species. One of the best- known species is the yellow weaver (Ploceua Pliilippinus), the baya (q.v.) of India. Many of the other weaver-birds construct nests pretty much on the same plan with this — pouches elon- gated into tubes, entered from below; those of some are kidney-shaped, and the entrance is in the side. They are very likely to suspend their nests in the same way from the extremities of branches, and often prefer branches which hang over water, probably as affording further security against monkeys, squirrels, snakes, and other enemies. Social habits are prevalent among them, and many nests of the same species are often found close together. Some of them at- tach the nest of one year to that of the year, preceding, as certain Madagascan species, which sometimes thus makes five nests in succession, one hanging to another. Some of the African species build their nests in company, the whole forming one structure. Thus, the social weaver- birds {Philetcerus socius) of South Africa con- struct in communities an umbrella-shaped roof in a tree, beneath which as many as 300 bird- homes are sometimes sheltered. An acacia with straight, smooth stem, such as predaceous ani- mals cannot easily climb, is often selected by the bird-community. The birds begin by con- structing the roof, which is made of coarse grass, each pair afterwards building their own nest, which is formed in an excavation on the under side of the 'roof.' As new nests are built every year, the weight of the structure often becomes so great as to break down its support. The wax- bills, Java sparrows, nutmeg-birds, African ox- ])eckers, and other species elsewhere described belong to this large family, and make remarkable nests, often in communities. The widow-birds (q.y. ) are closely related to them. See Plate of Nests of Weaver-Birds. WEAVER'S-SHUTTLE SHELL. A smooth, usually white gastropod, related to the cowry (q.v.), whose aperture is drawn out into a long canal at each end. The foot is narrow and adapted for clasping the round stems of the WEAVER a-SHCTTLE SHELL. alcyonarian coral Gorgonia,on which the mollusk feeds. The best-known species is Oruluin rolva. The genus contains many species inhabiting all warm seas, and the group is sometimes called 'China shells.' WEAVING (from iixave, AS. wefan, OHG. irrban. Ger. u-chen, to weave; connected with Gk. i;'0o5, hyphos, web, Skt. urnai-ahhi. wool- spinner, spider). The art by which yarns or threads of any substance are interlaced so as to form a continuous well, the threads being in two groups running at right angles to each other. The threads running throughout the length of the web are the warp; those interlacing with it transversely are the fillinri-thrcads, or iroof. The o]ieration is ])erfornied by hand in a ma- cliine called a hand-loom and by power in the power-loom. (See T.ooM.) The warp threads are arranged on a warp-beam and set up in the loom, having been arranged on the various loom- harnesses and passed through the interspaces of
