THE CAPOCIER. 347 



Many foreign birds are excellent branch-builders. 



In Southern Africa there is a small, simply coloured, but 

 interesting bird, called by Le Vaillant the Capocier {Drymoka 

 7naculosa) because it builds in a cotton-yielding tree, called by 

 the Dutch colonist Capoc-bosche. 



The attention of that naturalist was directed to the bird in 

 the following manner. 



Being, in common with all true naturalists, a lover of birds in 

 their living state, and being in no wise disposed to kill them 

 without necessity, he had contrived to tame a pair of little 

 brown birds, which at last became so familiar that they would 

 enter his tent. On these terms they remained until the begin 

 ning of the breeding season, when they began to come less 

 regularly, and then to absent themselves for several successive 

 days. About this time they became thieves. M. Le Vaillant 

 was accustomed to keep on his table a quantity of tow and 

 cotton-wool, which he used in stuffing and otherwise preparing 

 the skins which he had procured for his collection. The birds 

 seemed suddenly to take a wonderful fancy to the tow and 

 cotton-wool, and were continually flying off with them, some- 

 times stealing a piece that was nearly as large as both the birds 

 together. 



Struck with this sudden fancy of the birds, Le Vaillant 

 determined to watch them, and soon traced them to a capoc- 

 bosche tree which grew at some distance, and in a remarkably 

 retired spot. Among the branches of this tree they had already 

 begun their nest, which consisted of a quantity of moss pressed 

 tightly into the forks of a bough, and which was at the time 

 only in a rudimentary condition. The moss, in fact, was the 

 foundation of the nest, upon which the beautiful walls were 

 intended to be built, just as in the habitation of many other 

 birds there is a foundation of substances more solid than the 

 materials of which the walls are made. 



Into this nest the Capociers were weaving the stolen stores 

 of cotton-wool, working it in a manner that will be presently 

 described. Le Vaillant soon discovered that the legitimate sub- 



