268 NECTARINIID.i;. 



Subfamily ARACHNOTHERINJE. 



Araclinothera magna (Hodgs.). Tlie Larger Streal-ed 

 Sj) ider-hunter. 



Arachnotbera magna {Hodr/s.), Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 3G0 ; Hume, Cat. 

 no. 223. 



From Sikhim Mr, Gammie writes : — " Common as the large 

 Spider-hunter is on the Cinchona reserves, I Iiave as yet taken but 

 two nests of it. As they were precisely alike, both in structure 

 and position, and also, as I am informed on good authority, that 

 the nests of this bird are always similar to those I took, I can but 

 conclude that Jerdou had neither seen one in situ nor even a 

 perfect specimen, else he would never have described it as a ' very 

 large but loose structure of grass and other fibrous materials, with 

 a hole at one side near the top.' In the first place, the nests 

 measure, externally, 4 inches in height by the same in diameter at 

 the top, and consequently are not ' very large ' for the size of the 

 bird ; in the next place, the fibrous materials, fine grass-stems and 

 skeletonized leaves, of which they are composed, are compactly and 

 neatly interwo\en ; and the nests are cup-shaped, with an open 

 top instead of having the hole at one side. The Spider-hunter 

 builds so neat a nest, in so beautiful a situation, that, with a fresh 

 nest before him, the greatest admirer of Jerdon could not help 

 abusing him for so grossly misrepresenting this most elegant 

 builder. The nest is suspended from about the middle of a large 

 plantain-leaf by numerous threads (two hundred or so) of plantain- 

 stem fibre, attached to rather more than half the rim of tlie cup, 

 put through the blade of the leaf and knotted on the upper side. 

 The holes are as neat — not a crack from them — as if they had 

 been bored with a sharp needle, and as they are but barely large 

 enough for the insertion of the threads, not a trace of water can 

 get through to the nest. So comfortable did both the nest itself 

 and its position appear to me the first time I saw it, which was on 

 a pouring wet day, that I could not help wishing I had been born 

 a Spider-hunter. The cavity is lined with fine grass-stems, and 

 measures about 2*5 inches in diameter by the same in depth. The 

 full number of eggs appears to be three. Both my nests were 

 found in May, at about 3000 feet ; but as the bird is very common 

 up to at least 5000 feet, I have no doubt it breeds up to that 

 elevation." 



He subsequently adds that the breeding-season extends to 

 August, and that the number of eggs laid in one nest is almost 

 invariably three. 



The eggs obtained by Mr. Gammie correspond with one pre- 

 viously 8t;nt me by Mr. Mandelli, and with some received from 

 Tenasserim. They are distinctly of the Arachnechthra type, but 

 nuich darker, and of course much larger. They are moderately 

 ehjngated ovals, considerably pointed and compressed towards the 



