129 A BIRD CALENDAR 



a band of grass across the mouth of the bell. 

 In this condition the nest is often left un- 

 finished. Indians call such incomplete nests 

 jhulas or swings ; they assert that these are 

 made in order that the cocks jnay sit in them 

 and sing to their mates while these are incu- 

 bating the eggs. It may be, as " Eha " 

 suggests, that at this stage the birds are dis- 

 satisfied with the balance of the nest and for 

 this reason leave it. If the nest, at this point 

 of its construction, please the weaver-birds 

 they proceed to finish it by closing up the 

 bell at one side of the cross-band to form 

 a receptacle for the eggs, and prolonging the 

 other half of the bell into a long tunnel or 

 neck. This neck forms the entrance to the 

 nest ; towards its extremity it becomes very 

 flimsy so that it affords no foothold to an 

 enemy. Nearly every baya's nest contains 

 some lumps of clay attached to it. Jerdon 

 was of opinion that the function of these 

 is to balance the nest properly. Indians state 

 that the bird sticks fireflies into the lumps 

 of clay to light up the nest at night. This 

 story has found its way into some ornitho- 

 logical text-books. There is no truth in it. The 

 present writer is inclined to think that the 



