114 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



with the lateral ones nearly equal ; the outer slightly united 

 at its base ; the hind toe long and strong ; the claws long 

 and strong, especially that of the hind toe. 



212. Paroides Capensis; dJgithaius 



Shaw ; Parus Capensis, Gmel. Sonn. Voy., t. 115 ; 

 Cuvier, Vol. 2, p. 124 ; Le Becque-fleur, Le Vail., PI. 

 134, Figs. 1 and 2. 



ABOVE, dull olive- green ; greyish on the head and yellowish 

 on the rump ; forehead covered with short feathers, partly 

 very dark-brown (approaching to black) and partly white, 

 which give it a mottled appearance ; a few white feathers 

 are scattered about the cheeks ; under parts of male, with the 

 exception of the chin, all yellow. Female, generally duller 

 underneath ; white on the throat and breast ; rufous on the 

 belly and vent ; forehead as the head. Length, 3" 5'" ; 

 wing, 2" ; tail, 1" 5'". 



These little birds were found by Le Vaillant in small flocks on the 

 western side of the colony, in the neighbourhood of the " Elephant's 

 River." They are very active, and continually on the move, from 

 flower to flower, feeding on insects. Mr. Andersson brought many 

 from Damaraland, and I have it from various parts of the colony. It 

 is common about Nel's Poort, and is the fabricator of the nest figured 

 by Le Vaillant, plate 131, which is there erroneously attributed to 

 " Le Pine Pine," which is clearly the Drymoica Textrix, called by the 

 Dutch colonists " Tine-Tine." 



The nests fabricated by these minute birds are wonderful structures, 

 more like balls of felted cloth than the habitation of a bird. They 

 vary in size from five to eight inches in length, and three to five inches 

 in diameter. Some that I have torn to pieces, appear as if felted in 

 layers, coat upon coat. Each nest is furnished with a tubular entrance, 

 underneath which is a pocket, the use of which is doubtful. Some say 

 the male bird sits therein during the night ; others attribute it to the 

 cunning of the birds to deceive snakes, as it draws the tubular neck of 

 the real entrance into the body of the nest, and closes it so tight that 

 the snakes mistake the pocket for the orifice, and vainly try to pene- 

 trate the nest thereby. I have conversed with several individuals who 

 had been deceived by this proceeding, and did not find out their error 

 until the parent bird effected her escape tnrough the real opening, of 

 her own accord. They lay from six to ten eggs, pure white : axis, 

 7"'; diam., 5 7// ; and the whole brood keeps together for some time 

 after being fully fledged. 



Mr. Atmore writes : " I took one in the nest, tied up the mouth, 

 and thought I had my little prisoner safe, nest and eggs, in my cart- 

 box ; but on passing a fine Gladiolus, which I could not leave behind, I 

 opened the box to get something to dig the bulb out with, when out 

 flew the bird ! She had bored a hole through the side, and when the 

 lid,opened, 'skedaddled.' " 



