186 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



to fly away, and if this is not successful, continues until 



its efforts are crowned with success. 



The grass which is used in nest construction is im- 

 pregnated with silicon to such an extent that I ex- 

 perienced considerable difficulty in extricating from my 

 pocket some of the fibres which, on one occasion, I took 

 home with me. The material is thus eminently suitable 

 for weaving purposes. 



The fibres first collected are securely wound round 

 the branch or leaf from which the nest will hang. 

 The fibres added subsequently are plaited together 

 until a stalk four or five inches long is formed ; this is 

 then expanded into a bell-shaped structure. The bell 

 constitutes the roof of the nursery. When the roof is 

 completed a loop is constructed across its base, so that 

 the nest at this stage may be likened to an inverted 

 basket with a handle. 



Up to this point the cock and hen do the same kind 

 of work, both fetch strips of grass or of palm leaves and 

 weave these into the structure of the nest. But when 

 once the loop or cross-bar is completed the hen takes 

 up a position on it and makes the cock do all the 

 bringing of material. She henceforth works from the 

 interior of the nest and he from the exterior. 



They push the fibres through the walls to one another. 

 Thus the work progresses very rapidly. On one side of 

 the loop the bell is closed up so as to form a chamber 

 in which the eggs are laid, and the other half is pro- 

 longed into a neck, which becomes the entrance to the 

 nest. This may be nearly a foot long ; six inches is, 

 however, a more usual length. 



