226 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



" The riest is globular, very large indeed for the size of the bird, 

 an oblate spheroid as a rule, from 8 to fully 10 inches in diameter, 

 and 6 to 7 inches in height. The nest is usually wedged between 

 some convenient fork, and not uncommonly, rests upon a sort of 

 foundation of the same materials as those of which it is itself composed, 

 viz., rather coarse, often broad-bladed grass, used green, rice and barley 

 straw, leaves of bajera and jowar, and the like. The entrance is on 

 one side, circular, about 2 inches in diameter, and neatly lined 

 throughout, together with the whole interior of the cavity, which may 

 average 5 inches in diameter, with fine grass-stems, the beards of 

 wheat (our Indian bearded wheat), and barley or rarely fine wire-like 

 roots. 



" The number of eggs laid varies much. Seven I consider to be 

 the normal number, but I have found only four hard set, and some 

 of my correspondents have taken ten eggs in a single nest. 



" From Hoshungabad Mr. Nunn writes : ' Nest and seven eggs 

 secured on nth August; the former was made on the branches of a 

 low thorn-bush, some 6 feet high, well sheltered by leaves. This low 

 thorn-bush was growing, with others, at the base of a rocky hill far 

 from water. 



" ' The nest was a large loose ball of grass as big as a man's 

 head, with a circular lateral aperture about as big as his mouth. 

 Eggs slightly set.' 



" Mr. F. R. Blewitt thus graphically and accurately describes a 

 very curious nest which he kindly sent me : ' A nest of this species, 

 which I obtained in the neighbourhood of Raipur, was remarkable as 

 being more compact and massive than those of this species usually 

 are. It was a very irregularly shaped nest, something in outline 

 like a gouty foot done up in bandages, the toe pointing downwards, 

 and the aperture where the leg would join on ; exteriorly it was com- 

 posed of coarse broad-leaved grass ; interiorly of fine grass and flowering 

 grass-stems. The walls were fully an inch thick and very compact. 

 The cavity, measured from the aperture to the bottom, was 6 inches 

 from the heel to the mouth of the aperture, and some 4-5 in breadth. 

 The whole exterior portion was composed of green grass, but the fine 

 lining was dry.' 



" Mr. Wait, writing from Coonoor, says : ' This little bird breeds 

 with us any time between February and September, but the majority 

 lay between April and May. They make a large, oval, globular nest, 

 some six inches high and 8 or 9 inches in breadth ; it is loosely 

 constructed of dry grass, usually the finer sorts, and lined with the 



