634 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NA TURA L HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX, 



fly sto'-y it will be necessary for Mr. Buckley to answer the following questions. 

 Did he himself take down the nests in question, ai.dis he piepaied to aj&eit that 

 the nests could nob have been tampeied with befoie he saw them? If Mr. 

 Buckley's servants knew that the <?a/'?V; wanted a nest with fire-flies embedded in 

 the mud it is quite likely that the more zealous of Ihem would especially prepare 

 nests for him. I would further like to ask whe her it is not possible that the 

 injects might not have been embedded in the mud before the baya took 

 it to the nest ? 



I would point out that it is most unlikely that the cock biid should take the 

 trouble to store 'i or 3 insects by sticking them on to the mud when a few 

 minutes' search for them would sufiice to enable him to piocuie ihem when they 

 were actually needed. Moieover, if the insects in question were merely sioied 

 temporarily, it seems unlikely that the cock bird should force them in the mud 

 to such a depth that they would be incapable of emitting their phosphorescent 

 light ! 



Further, Mr. Buckley's statement does not explain, or, indeed, throw any 

 light upon, the story so universal among natives both in India and the Malay 

 Peninsula, that the Baya biid lights up its nest. 



Now, while we should be veiy cautious {.bout accepting statements of 

 uneducated witnesses, it seems true that there mu3t be some foundation for a 

 story so universal, and one in the telling of which the teller has no particular 

 interest. 



As I have already said, I do not believe that weaver-birds' nests are ever lighted 

 up by phosphorescent creatu)es. My suggestion is that the baya brings the clay 

 to the nest in its bill in a moist condition. Now wet clay retains moiiture for 

 some time and would shine brightly in the moonlight, so might eaiiily be mistaken 

 for phosphorescence. The only evidence in support of this suggestion that I 

 can adduce is the fact, of uh"ch I have satisfied myself, that Ihe egg-cells made 

 by solitary wasps shine when the clay that composes Ihem is wet. In a la'ge 

 Society like this one there must be numbers of membeis in a position to make 

 first-hand observations on the nesting habits of the baya, and now that the 

 points which requiie elucidation have been disdnctly slated, I trust that 

 etfoits will be made to throw further light en ihem. It should be remembered 

 that as regards the fie fly story purely negative evidence is valuable, indeed it 

 is the only kind that I expect to be sent in. 



