256 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



the neatest builders ; the Buntings the least so, 

 their nests seldom being very elaborate and 

 rarely lined with warm materials. In the Star- 

 lings (Sturnidae) the more typical species build 

 slovenly nests of straws, grass, wool, feathers, 

 &c., in holes of trees, walls, or even under heaps 

 of stones, and in burrows ; but some of the more 

 aberrant forms construct nests in the open, in 

 trees or bushes, and in these cases a globular 

 structure is made. The Shrikes always appear 

 to make open cup-shaped nests, of twigs, dry 

 grass, plant stems, moss, wool, hair, and feathers, 

 placing them in trees and bushes. The Wax- 

 wings also build open nests, very similar in 

 general form, and placed in trees. The nests 

 of the Orioles (Oriolidae) introduce us to another 

 type of avine architecture, these being slung 

 between forking branches, the rim of the nest 

 being worked or woven over the supporting 

 twigs ; the materials are chiefly the leaves and 

 stems of grasses, various fibres and bark strips, 

 and occasionally bits of paper. The nests of 

 the Goldcrests (Regulidae) are made on a very 

 similar plan, only suspended from the ends of 

 fir branches, and made largely of moss, lichens, 

 and spiders' webs, lined with feathers. 



We now come to the more tropical ranging 



