324 ]\Ir. E, C. Stuart Baker on the 



about 3" in diameter, and about an inch more in height ; the 

 cavity measured about 2" or rather less, and the entrance 

 was about an inch wide. 



There seem to be no intermediate forms between these 

 two types of nest, all those I have taken or had lu'ought to 

 me being distinctly referable to one or the other. Of course 

 all are not so beautifully situated as the last-described nest, 

 but many run it very close. 



I do not think this Wren takes much care to hide its nest, 

 but the way in which it builds it, either among or of the 

 living moss itself, or among some mass of orchids, ferns^ 

 and other parasitic plants, renders it pretty well a matter of 

 indifference to the bird whether the tree is one in an exposed 

 position or not, and therefore there is nothing strange in 

 the bird choosing, as it so often does, some tree standing 

 beside a road. 



Four is the full complement of eggs laid, sometimes only 

 three, and more than once I have seen two only showing 

 signs of incubation. They are, of course, pure white, and 

 are of fine, close texture, very smooth and soft, but without 

 any gloss, except in very rare instances, when jjerfectly 

 fresh eggs may exhibit it, but even then only in the very 

 slightest degree. They are very fragile, more so than 

 smaller eggs of allied genera. In shape they are normally 

 rather broad ovals, very little compressed towards the smaller 

 end, which is blunt. Sometimes rather pointed specimens 

 may be met with, and, still less often, long narrow ones, but 

 the abnormal forms most often to be seen are such as are 

 broad ovals rather suddenly compressed towards the smaller 

 end, which, however, remains blunt us usual. Forty eggs 

 average 0"'7 X 0"'55 ; the largest I have is 0"'78 X 0"-60, and 

 the smallest 0"'68x0"'52. These birds breed from early 

 April until about the middle of June. 



39. CisTicoLA TYTLERi. {Oatcs, op, cit. i. p. 343.) 

 The nest of this bird is one of the most flimsy and delicate 

 of those T know, if not the most so, often looking as if it 

 coidd not bear the weight of a clutch of eggs alone, far less 



