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away), where like other Waxbills they make covered 

 circular nests of long grass, with a few feathers for 

 inner lining, on tlie ground in grass-tufts, generally 

 beneath the shelter of some prickly bush, which 

 protects the nest from the feet of grazing cattle or 

 other animals and from the fingers of the idle small 

 boys, if such creatures exist here. The eggs are pure 

 white. L. ricfopicia similarly, I think, also nests both 

 inside villages and in the bush, though the only nest 

 of this species I have found was in the grass just out- 

 side a native town, and was a similar structure to that 

 made by the Common Firefinch. 



Cordon-bleus {^Estrilda phcenicotis) build in thick 

 thorn-scrub, selecting usually the fork of some bush 

 of this sort a foot or more from the ground. The nest, 

 a covered one, is loosely built of grass, which on the 

 outside is left irregular and with the ends sticking 

 out in all directions, so that it looks more like a mass 

 of grass accidently caught in the branches than a 

 bird's nest, but inside it is smoothly lined with fine 

 grass mixed with hairs, feathers, etc. The eggs are 

 white. 



Lavender-finches (£". ccerulescens) make much the 

 same kind of nest. 



Orange-cheeked Waxbills {E. melpodd) are gen- 

 erally found nesting in company with Cordons. The 

 nest is usually placed in a grass-tuft underneath a 

 small bush, not uncommonly among recently felled 

 thorn-trees, on ground which is being cleared for 

 cultivation in the following year; occasionally it is 

 actually a little way off the ground in a low bush. 

 It is a ball-shaped structure composed of soft grass, 

 lined with a very smooth inner lining of fine grass, 

 hairs, tree-cotton and feathers. Eggs white. 



Bronze Mannikins {Spermestes cucidlahis) build 

 perfectly circular nests, with a single inner chamber 

 and a side opening, at the ends of branches of larger 



