24R ^GITHALUS CAPENSIS. 



woven nests. A somewhat open bush is usually chosen as a 

 site, after a careful inspection lasting several days. In sheep - 

 farming districts wool is nearly always used as a building 

 material, elsewhere the cotton down of plants ; but whatever 

 the substance made use of, it is carefully woven and felted 

 together in several distinct layers until the walls of the domed 

 nest consist of a tough cloth-like material impervious to rain. 

 The nest is usually about four feet off the ground and is 

 attached by its sides to several nearly parallel twigs. It varies 

 in size and shape, but is generally about seven inches high by 

 four inches wide, and more or less oval in form. The entrance 

 is on one side near the top of the nest, through a short sleeve- 

 like tube just wide enough to admit the bird. Immediately 

 below it is a larger pocket or blind opening, in which, accord- 

 ing to the Hottentots and Kaffirs, the male roosts. I once had 

 an opportunity of watching a pair of Cotton Birds during the 

 construction of their nest and for some time subsequently. 

 As soon as the nest was completed the female laid an egg 

 and added one every morning until seven were deposited. On 

 leaving the nest after laying, and sometimes when inside, she 

 generally carefully closed the entrance by pinching the upper 

 and lower lips of the entrauce-tube together with her bill 

 until no visible aperture was apparent ; on one occasion, 

 before leaving the nest for the day, she stitched the upper lip 

 to the lower so effectively that on her return it was some time 

 before she herself could effect an entrance ; but on other 

 occasions no attempt was made to close the opening during the 

 day. It appeared to me at the time that the temperature of 

 the interior of the nest was probably regulated by opening or 

 closing the entrance tube ; at the same time the nest with 

 entrance closed would be comparatively secure against the 

 assaults of egg-eating snakes and lizards, reptiles which are 

 common enough in most of the localities frequented by the 



