194 
This species is of the same form as the former, from which it may be 
distinguished by its shorter and weaker beak, and the want of the 
rufous colouring on the rump and upper tail-coverts, as also by the 
conspicuous striz on the neck and throat. 
2. NOTES ON AN UNDESCRIBED SPECIES OF TAILOR-BIRD. 
By Dr. NicHotson. 
It may appear irregular to use what has been meant and applied 
as a specific name, as a generic one, but then that name appears to 
me to include, and to be indiscriminately applied to, two or three di- 
stinct birds, as we may gather by looking at the accompanying 
sketch, by the examination of the species described by Colonel Sykes 
as inhabiting the Dukhun, and by reading the following description, 
taken from Forbes, ‘Oriental Memoirs,’ p. 34. vol. i., under the 
name of Motacilla sutoria :—“ The Tailor-bird resembles some of the 
humming-birds at the Brazils in shape and colour ; the hen is clothed 
in brown, but the plumage of the cock displays the varied tints of 
azure-purple, green and gold, so common in those American beauties.” 
Often have I watched the progress of an industrious pair of Tailor- 
birds, in my garden, from their first choice of a plant, until the com- 
pletion of the nest, and the enlargement of their young. 
Now, it is evident either that Mr. Forbes alludes to a distinct and 
an uncommon species, which I have never met with, or else he must 
have mistaken the common Cinnyris or Sun-bird representing the 
Humming-birds, and both sexes of which he has generally described 
above. But then the Cinnyris builds a common-shaped nest in the 
fork of a branch, in fashion resembling that of the humming-birds. 
This is a resident bird, not very conspicuous, as it keeps hopping 
about among the brushwood and plants. It has a loud, short, and 
not unmelodious song ; its general cry is ‘ wheet, wheet, wheet,’ often 
repeated ; but its alarm-cry is like ‘ cheertah, cheertah, cheertah.’ 
I have found its singular sewn nest containing eggs or young at 
all seasons of the year, in May and in November; and this may be 
owing to the vegetation of gardens being always kept up by means 
of artificial irrigation ; for cultivated spots seem its favourite, if not 
exclusive resort at least in the north of India. Though no doubt 
it haunts suitable jungles, I never observed it there, nor ever disco- 
vered its nest so situated; but I have found many nests in my gar- 
dens, both at Surat and at Raghote, as well as in Cutch. It seems 
to prefer the leaf of the Bringal (Solanum esculentum), or that of the 
Cucurbita octangularis, for the purposes of nidification ; and it lays 
four small white eggs, marked with faint dark spots at the larger 
end. After selecting a fitting leaf, it proceeds by means of its feet 
and beak to draw the edges together, perforating holes therein, and 
securing their proximity by threads of cotton, with bunches at the 
end to prevent their giving way. Then the nest is constructed inside 
the leaf, now forming a sort of corve, with cotton; the entrance is at 
the top, and the nest seems small in proportion to the bird. If this 
