22 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



applicable. [Lagenoplastes (/a^ena, a bottle or flask).] The 

 birds build bottle-shaped nests made of mud, and have them 

 upon the cliff or under a bridge until 20 to 40 are together. 

 This makes up the colony, to which they annually return. 

 Work is carried on in the cool of tlie day — morning and 



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%4 



Fig. 4. Fairy Martin. One-sixth natural size. 



evening. Half a dozen birds will help to build each nest 

 (grass and feather lining), about 3 to 7 inches apart, and if, 

 at any subsequent time, you should break off a neck, the 

 whole colony immediately starts repairing it. In less than 

 15 minutes several thousand mud ''bricks" have been 



