ch. vi.] Birds and Spiders. 125 



Sir Jas. Emerson Tennent describes them as being 

 common in Ceylon, where they frequent the gardens, and 

 rifle the blossoms of the passifloras, and other flowers ; 

 at other times searching for small insects and spiders, 

 and again pluming themselves, and warbling their pleasing 

 songs on the pomegranate-trees. " If two happened to 

 come to the same flower and from their numbers this 

 has often occurred a battle always ensued, which ended 

 in the vanquished bird retreating from the spot with 

 shrill piping cries, while the conqueror would take up 

 his position upon a flower or stem, and swinging his 

 little body to and fro, till his coat of burnished steel 

 gleamed and glistened in the sun, pour out his song of 

 triumph." The rich plumage of the dainty little male 

 birds is only seen during the breeding season, after which 

 they moult, and are as unattractive as their mates. Two 

 tiny eggs are laid in a wee nest, which is suspended 

 from a twig, or sometimes the stout web of a large 

 spider is made to bear the little shelter for eggs and 

 young. 



The spiders in the jungle, and old buildings of the 

 East, are numerous ; and some are of an alarming size, 

 but of beautiful colours. One large, black, yellow- 

 spotted species measures six or eight inches across its 

 extended legs, and its web is held in position by grey 

 lines, almost as stout as fine sewing-cotton, and strong 

 enough to pull one's hat off. It is a very disagreeable 

 sensation to feel them across one's face, as often happens 

 in a little used jungle-path. Ants are particularly plen- 

 tiful ; and the white termites throw up mounds of red 

 earth, five or six feet in height, and often do much 

 damage by burrowing into the piles of houses, and other 

 buildings. The species of ants vary much in size. 

 One is a tiny red fellow, but little larger than a cheese- 



