'74 Lloyd's natural history. 



(Gnaphalium), a little hairy-stemmed, hairy-leaved, plant with 

 three or four small thistle-like flowers, growing from two to 

 four inches high. These the Woodchats pulled out by the roots, 

 and wove together into a compact warm nest, which did not 

 differ very much in colour from the bark of the olive-trees. 

 Occasionally a twig or two was introduced ; but for the most 

 [tart the cudweed, with its flowers and its root, was foundation, 

 vail, and lining for the nest." 



Eg^s. — From four to six in number. They present the same 

 divergent colours as do the eggs of the Red-backed Shrike ; 

 some of the eggs have the ground-colour greenish-white, with 

 coarse spots and markings of greenish-brown and underlying 

 mottling and spots of pale violet-grey ; these markings are 

 sometimes distributed over the larger end of the egg, and have 

 a tendency to form a ring. In another type of egg the ground- 

 colour is clay-brown with olive-brown mottlings and spots, and 

 very distinct underlying spots of violet-grey. In a third type 

 the colour is creamy-buff, of a more or less rich tint, the over- 

 lying spots being reddish-brown with very distinct under-lying 

 spots and mottlings of grey : these grey spots are as distinct 

 as in the greenish-white type of egg, but the over-lying markings 

 are darker. Axis, 0-85-0-95 inch j diam., 0-65-0-7. 



THE CHATTERERS. FAMILY AMPELIRE. 



These birds, familiarly known as Wax-wings, must not be 

 confounded with the American Chatterers, or Cofi;i,;idiC. The 

 peculiar wax-like appendages to the quills and tail-feathers are 

 the chief external characteristics of the family, and on that 

 account the name of Wax-wings would have been the more 

 suitable one; but there are in America certain genera, such as 

 Phainoptila and Ptilogonys^ which are apparently referable to 

 me family as Ampelis^ but which do not possess the wax- 

 like appendages to the wings and tail, and, therefore, the name 

 of " Wax "-wing is inapplicable to them. The Ampelida have 

 only nine primaries in the wing, the bill swollen with a rounded 

 nostril, and are also remarkable for a long silky crest. 



