194 BIRDS' NESTS 



of the bird appeals to us more strongly than anything 

 in the nest itself. In the first place, the Tailor-bird 

 selects some broad leaf, or frequently two leaves, 

 usually at the end of some slender branch, and with 

 its long, slender, awl-like bill it pierces a series of 

 holes irregularly along the margins. Then, with a 

 thread which it either weaves for itself out of cotton 

 or similar fibres, or obtains in other cases ready made, 

 it commences to sew or draw the leaves together, 

 being careful, after passing it through the leaf, to 

 make a knot at the end of it. Through and through 

 the holes the feathered tailor draws its thread, until 

 the leaf or leaves are formed into a hollow, cone- 

 shaped receptacle or pocket, in which the actual nest 

 is placed. This latter is cup-shaped, and principally 

 composed of cotton, wool, or similarly soft materials. 

 Tailor-birds, I should mention, are not the only 

 species that ply needle and thread in their nest- 

 making for almost, if not quite, equal "tailors," or 

 perhaps we might more properly say, " sempstresses," 

 are found in the Sylviinas genus Cisticola {conf. p. 229) 

 and amongst some of the Sun-birds, as for instance, 

 species in the genus ^thopyga {conf. p. 185). 



Among the other characteristic builders of the open 

 type of nest in the present family may be mentioned 

 the Laughing Thrushes of the Oriental region contained 

 in several genera, such as Garrulax and Trochalop- 

 terum. That of Trochalopterum virgatum, for in- 

 stance, is placed in very similar situations to those 



