146 PLOCEID^E. 



Waxbill, my meii discovered two nests one complete, aiid the 

 other all but finished built on, and firmly attached to, the stalk- 

 ends of two or three of the upper leaves. They were somewhat 

 oblong in shape, and very neatly and compactly made. The inte- 

 rior lining was of fine grass, the exterior of coarse grass and long 

 strips of only sugarcane- leaves, well interwoven with the coarse 

 grass. The men told me that the birds had deserted the nests ; 

 but, on inspection, I had reason to discredit their statement. 



" Two years ago, in January, my men shot on the banks of a 

 stream here, in high grass, a young bird that had but just left the nest. 

 Every search was made all along the bank of the nuddee for nests, 

 but unsuccessfully. It would thus appear that S. formosa breeds 

 twice a year." 



Later, however, Mr. Blewitt did succeed in getting the eggs. 

 He says : " On the 17th July we were encamped in the open 

 forest country in the immediate vicinity of the western flanks of 

 the hill-ranges of the extreme eastern section of the Bhundara 

 District. 



" In a sugarcane-field of about two acres in extent, on the bank 

 of a broad hill-torrent, I found four unfinished and three complete 

 nests, each containing five eggs, of S. formosa. 



" The nests, one and all, were some five feet from the ground, 

 in the upper portion of the sugarcane, the stalk forming a side- 

 support opposite the entrance. The framework of the nest is first 

 strongly and neatly secured by lacings of coarse grass between two 

 of the cane-leaves, one above and the other below ; but as the 

 building proceeds, three if not four, additional leaves are caught on 

 to the sides of the nest and firmly interlaced in the exterior 

 material. The inner portion or lining is completed last. When 

 finished, the nests are large globular structures, made exteriorly of 

 coarse grass and strips of the cane-leaf itself, the inner cavity 

 being thickly lined with very fine grass, all somewhat compactly 

 put together. 



"The entrance-hole, which is prolonged into a short neck, is 

 invariably in the centre, opposite the sides supported by the cane- 

 stalk, and is well-concealed by projecting grass-fibres. 



" Eive is apparently the normal number of the eggs, and both 

 sexes are equally employed in building the nest and incubating the 

 eggs. One male was shot busily at work at the short neck of the 

 nest, the female the while sitting on the eggs. Evidently a new 

 nest is prepared each successive season, and I think they always 

 breed in society, several nests being found in close proximity." 



The eggs, as might be expected, are snow-white and entirely 

 devoid of gloss. In shape they are somewhat elongated ovals, 

 some few of them slightly compressed towards one end. 



In length they vary from O61 to 07, and in width from 045 to 

 0-48 ; but the average of fourteen is a little more than 0-66 by 

 nearly 0-47. 



