144 PLOCEIl)^. 



tinent cock-Sparrow seemed determined to take possession of it ; 

 but I was equally determined he should not. After a good deal of 

 trouble, the poor owners were again the proprietors of their lawful 

 abode. They appeared to be quite aware that I was taking their 

 part in the" arbitration business, and would sit patiently on a 

 fuchsia-bush close by till the case was decided. Sometimes one of 

 their own species would approach their building, but at these times 

 I considered them quite able to fight their own battles and merely 

 looked on. They required no assistance ; but would sit close to 

 their nest, cracking their mandibles to show how decidedly dis- 

 pleased they were. This proceeding used often to have the effect 

 of inducing their unwelcome visitor to take his departure ; but if 

 he did not think of going soon, they would fly at him and use 

 their bills to such purpose as to malve him glad to be off. 



" Yet, notwithstanding that these little birds are so tenacious of 

 their rights when invaded by one of their own species, they are 

 easily iutimidated by any strange and unexpected object. A few 

 articles of furniture being placed under the trellis, which contained 

 several of their nests, so completely frightened the parents away at 

 cue time that they left their helpless brood without food, and 

 would not return even when the objects of offence were removed. 

 Of course the young, receiving no nourishment all day, became 

 fainter and fainter in their cries for food, and at last died." 



AVriting from Sooramungalum, in Salem, Mr. A. G. R. Theobald 

 remarks : — " In this district the breeding-season is August. They 

 construct a large round nest (some 25 inches in circumference, 

 with a small circular hole on one side as an entrance) of the broad 

 leaves of cholum {If. sorf/Jnim), rice- and barley-straw, and in some 

 very thorny bush or tree, commonly selecting the valum (Acacia, 

 sp,). The' nest is lined with barley-beards. 1 have always found 

 seven eggs ; never more. 



" The pair generally lay a thick foundation (as we may well call 

 it) of cholnm-leaves between the forks of a convenient branch, and 

 then they commence building the proper nest, which is of an 

 immense size compared to the bird, whicli is about 5| inches 

 in length. It takes them some days before the nest is properly 

 completed. The jxa'r are always seen to fly out of the nest 

 (during the time of incubation) when disturbed, but I cannot 

 say for a certainty whether they both sit on the eggs or not; 

 I think they do, as the number of the eggs is too great for a single 

 bird to cover. I very seldom found a bad egg amongst the ones 

 that contained young ones. I usually found only a single pair 

 building on a tree, but occasionally several build in the same." 



Dr. Jerdon remarks that '-it builds in thorny bushes, chiefly 

 about fields, and miilu'S a lai-ge nest of very fine grass, or not un- 

 frequently of the floweriug-lufls of some Saccharuin, which I have 

 often seen it conveying to its nest ; and 1 have always found the 

 nest solitary, contrary to Mr. Layard's observations, who states 

 that he has" seen thirty or forty nests in one tree, and that in one 

 instance he found oiie structure containing several nests. The 



