EXCEPTIONAL FORMS. 99 



whether the size of the nest supplies us with any 

 means of estimating that of the bird. Mr. H. Strick- 

 land, in reply to Mr. Bonomi's paper on this subject 

 in the Report of the fifteenth meeting of the 

 British Association, mentions that the Australian 

 Megapodius, a bird not larger than a fowl, con- 

 structs a nest of enormous proportions."* 



Let us advert, however, to those exceptions to 

 the ordinary form and appearance of the nest, which 

 scarcely admit of any classification, and are to be re- 

 garded almost as forming a distinct class of nests, 

 which might be called " nests of exceptional form." 

 Since, however, in every instance the main end in 

 view is the hatching of the eggs, and the rearing of 

 the young birds, the general character of a nest is 

 not lost, although its shape is altered, and often 

 to a singular extent. The fairy martin of 

 Australia constructs a singular nest, which deserves 

 to be included under this head. It selects the 

 hollows of decayed trees for the site of its nests. 

 These are of the shape of an inverted bottle, with 

 a rather long neck, which forms the entrance to 

 the nest. They are always found in the vicinity 

 of water, as such a situation the more readily 

 * Athenaeum, No. 922. 



