Nidification of Indian Birds. 345 



of beiug pear-shaped. There was no attenuation where the 

 nest was attached to the support, but, instead, this was 

 well incorporated in the roof of the nest itself, being sur- 

 rounded by the cotton-down, as well as with fine shreds of 

 tan-coloured grass, this material being the only one used to 

 keep the down in position. It is a very tiny nest, measuring 

 only 3^ inches perpendicularly by about 2\ horizontally, 

 the inside being not quite an inch less both ways. The 

 entrance is about the middle, and is an inch in diameter. 

 Like nearly all the nests of this genus, this one was attached 

 to a tall brackeu-froud, and it was found in the same kind 

 of forest as were the nests of JE. ignicauda and ^. gouldicB. 

 It contained three almost fresh eggs, much like those 

 already described of the above-mentioned two species, but 

 the markings are rather more grey in colour and freckles 

 are more numerous than blotches. There are also very 

 marked rings about the larger end, in one egg both freckles 

 and blotches being practically confined to this ring and 

 inside it. These eggs measure 0"-57xO"-41, 0"'56 x 0"-42, 

 and 0"-55 x 0"-42. 



55. Arachnothera longirostris. {Gates, op. cit. ii. 

 p. 371.) 



The nest of this bird is like that of A. magna, and, strange 

 to say, is very little, if anything, smaller. The first nest I 

 ever saw was one sent to me from Darjeeling, and, so far as 

 one could judge from the dried remnants of the leaf sent 

 with it, had been attached to the under side of an excep- 

 tionally large leaf of the common khydia. It was cup- 

 shaped, and had been attached by about half its rim to the 

 overhanging leaf, the material being drawn through most 

 beautifully made punctures, and then knotted and twisted 

 on the upper side together with cobwebs. The outer material 

 in this nest was principally fine grass mixed with what 

 looked like shreds torn from the inner soft bark of some 

 tree, this stuff having much the appearance and feeling of soft 

 tow. The lining was of very fine grasses, overlaid with a few 

 skeleton leaves. The nest was too much torn to make the 



