80 ^EDIFICATION. 



proach without alarming it, but its eye was upon 

 me, and when I was within three or four yards 

 it flew. I looked into the nest, but there was 

 no egg. On search I found it on the ground 

 beneath, much cracked, but not crushed. How 

 could it have come there ? The bush, to the 

 main stem of which it was attached, was too 

 strong for the rising of the bird to have jerked 

 it out ; besides which such result was not likely 

 to happen from an action taking place many 

 times a-day. It must, I think, have been taken 

 out by the bird. I replaced the cracked egg, 

 and a day or two afterwards revisited it again. 

 The nest was again empty, and evidently de- 

 serted." 



The nests of this lovely species present con- 

 siderable variety, not only as respects their place 

 of affixation, but the materials of their composi- 

 tion also. On the 12th of November Mr. Grosse 

 found the nest of a Polytmus suspended on a 

 hanging twig of a black mangrove tree, the twig 

 passing perpendicularly through the side and 

 out at the bottom. It contained two eggs, in 

 one of which the chick was considerably ad- 

 vanced, while the other was freshly laid a 

 curious circumstance, if we are noi? to consider 

 it as contrary to the general rule. This nest 

 was cup-shaped, and mainly composed of silk- 

 cotton, very closely pressed, mixed with the still 

 more glossy cotton of an Asclepias, particularly 

 round the edge : the seed remaining attached to 



