on the Silver-eared Mesia.



389



small timid sitting-bird one might suppose. To these nightly

honors must be added the wild shrill screams of the nervous

mother, uttered night or day at sight of man or beast. I feel

sure that in the choice of the sites of nests 3, 4 and 5 the fear of

the cats chiefly influenced them. Again, although No. 3 would

not have been entirely safe from a cat inside, No. 4 was perhaps

quite so. About 5^-ft. from the ground, it was suspended

between two outside twigs of a golden elder bush, on twigs so

unseasoned and unreliable that my first impulse was to destroy it

as unsuitable aud unsafe. However, I reasoned that every day

the wood would be getting more tough, aud I decided to leave it

alone. Above the nest, there were several layers of leafy

branchlets, which effectually concealed it from cats on the top of

the aviary.


On July 26 and on the morning of the 27th, there was

nothing but a rope ladder of hay, connecting two twigs about

four inches apart; but by the evening of the 27th the latter had

developed into a hammock suspended between the two twigs.

As the rains came down, the bindings of hay seemed to stretch

and appeared rotten ; aud occasionally I schemed with my eye

how best to arrange a support without disturbing the birds.

Happily the need for action did not arise ; the Mesias had done

their work well, so well that even when the wind blew hard the

nest never lost its level, but, with the sitting-bird upon it, was

tossed hither aud thither and high and low, without any mishap ;

aud now in September, discoloured, deserted and forlorn, it still

retains its position and bears testimony to the good work of the

clever Mesias. The position of this nest was delightful for me.

From the outer aviary I could at any time see if a bird were on ;

and from the path just inside, where I attended to the food and

water dishes, at a distance of about four feet, I had a good view

of the nest and could make my various observations.


On the 31st, observing signs, I felt in the nest and found

one cold egg. From that night they commenced to sit and, on

the following afternoon, being offered a chance which was not

repeated on the succeeding days, I again felt and found two

warm eggs. Now I could be certain that the birds were not

playing the fool, but I am perfectly certain that they were



