DICTUM. 273 



•' The nest of this species is a beautiliil little purse, Lung from 

 the branch of some shrub, loosely \vo\eu exteriorly with fine 

 grass and warmly lined with the silky pappus of some asteraceous 

 plant. In the exterior framework of the nest small fragments of 

 line moss and down of plants, similar to that so largely used by 

 Plj),-isoma (((/He, are intermingled. The total exterior length of 

 the nest from the point of suspension to the bottom is about 3 

 inches, and the exterior diameter about 2 inches. The entrance, 

 which is circular and just below the point of suspension, may be 

 about I inch in diameter, the cavity extends for about 14 to 1| 

 inch below the lower margin of the opening, and is perhaps between 

 1:1 and 1| inch in diameter." Subsequently I saw many other 

 nests, and recorded the following note : — 



" The nests of the Nilghiri Flower-pecker are regular purses, 

 comparatively large for the size of the bird, reminding one much 

 of those of Piprisoma agile. They are hung like those of the 

 Jrachnechthms from a slender twig, but whereas the apertures in 

 the Honey-suckers' are in the sides or parallel to the suspending 

 twig, the entrance in the Flower-peckers' is in front, or at right 

 angles to the twig. They are lined with the finest and silki'est 

 A-egetable down, and externally the nest is composed of vegetable 

 fibres, lichen, little pieces of grass, portions of leaves, and some 

 little cobwebs ; lining and all included, they are scarcely anywhere 

 more than § inch in thickness. They vary a great deal 'in size 

 externally ; some are at least -1 inches deep, measured from the 

 bottom of the nest to the top of the suspenchug twig ; others are 

 not above 3 inches. Internally the cavity, measured from the 

 lower edge of the orifice, is from 1| to 1| inch in depth, and the 

 internal diameter varies from little 'more than 1 inch to nearly 2 

 inches.*' 



The Xilghiri Flower-pecker breeds from January to April and 

 lays three eggs. 



jMr. Da\ison notes the following in regard to the niditication of 

 this species :— " This little bird, so abundant on the Xilghiris, 

 breeds at Ootacamund and its vicinity during the latter end of 

 February and March. The nest is suspended to a small twig : it 

 is pear-shaped, composed externally of cotton, bits of moss, a few 

 odd feathers, and the pappus of asteraceous plants, closely and 

 compactly put together ; on the inside it is thickly felted with this 

 pappus or other soft substance mixed with feathers ; the entrance 

 is on one side near the top, circular, and with a slightly projecting 

 canopy over it. In size the nest is a little smaller than that of 

 ArachnecJtthra uslatica, and very similar to it in shape, but is a very 

 much neater and more compact structure, and is never composed 

 of the same coarse substances used by Amcltnechthm asiatica, to 

 wit, straw, bits of bark, &c. 



" Usually some bushy large-leaved tree is selected, and the nest 

 suspended to a slender twig far out on one of the branches, and 

 well screened by the overhanging leaves. "When a situation like 

 the above is chosen, the nest is usually only from 10 to 15 feet 



VOL. IT. IS 



