PJUNIA 



293 



Colonel W. V. Legge, writing from Ceylon, tells ns that 

 " P. sociaVis breeds w ith us in the commencement of the 8.W. 

 monsoon during the months of May, June, and July. It nests in 

 long grass on the Patnas in the Central Province, in guinea-grass 

 fields, and in sugarcane-brakes where these exist, as in the Galle 

 District for instance. I can scarcely imagine that Jerdon is 

 correct about this Warbler's nesting. 



" Nothing can be more un-Tailorbii d-like than the nest which 

 it builds in this country, and this led me to think that ours was a 

 different species unril my specimens were identified by Lord 

 Walden. In May 1870 a pair resorted to a large guinea-grass 

 field attached to my bungalow at Colombo, for the purpose of 

 breeding. I soon found the nest, which was the most peculiarly 

 constructed one I have ever seen. It was, in fact, an almost 

 shapeless ball of guinea-grass roots, thrown as it were betvi'een the 

 upright stalks of the plant at about 2 feet from the ground : I say 

 ' thrown,' because it was scarcely attached to the supporting 

 stalks at all. It was formed entirely of the roots of the plant, 

 which, when it is old, crop out of the ground and are easily plucked 

 up by the bird, the bo*:tom or more solid part being interwoven with 

 cotton and such-like substances to impart additional strength. The 

 entrance was at the side in the upper half, and was tolerably neatly 

 made ; it was about an inch in diameter, the whole structure mea- 

 suring about G inches in depth by 5 inches in breadth. I found 

 the nest in a partial state of completion on the 10th of May ; by 

 the 19th it was finished and the first of a clutch of three eggs laid. 

 The nest and eggs were both taken on the evening of the 24tb, and 

 the following day another was connnenced close at hand. This was 

 somewhat smaller, but constructed in the same peculiar manner as 

 the first. This was completed, and the first of another clutch 

 laid. The eggs are somewhat pointed at the smaller end, and 

 of an almost uniform dull mahogany ground-colour, showing indi- 

 cations of a paler underground at the point." 



Birds like these, that build half-a-dozen different kinds of nests, 

 ought to be abolished ; they lead to all kinds of mistakes and dif- 

 ferences of opinion, and are more trouble than they are worth. 



Colonel E. A. Butler writes : — " Pound numerous nests of tliis 

 species at Belgaum on the following dates :— 



"July 13. A nest containing 4 fresh eggs. 



Aug. 



11 

 "All 



corn-fields ; and most of them were stitched up in leaves of various 

 plants, after the fashion of Tailor-birds' nests; but in some instances 

 they were of the other type, simply supported by the blades of 



