How Animals Work. 



ing a wonderfully solid and striking-looking nest. Of 

 its general appearance and the nesting site Burmeister 

 gives the following interesting account : " When we 

 have passed the lofty mountain chains which divide 

 the vast coast forests of Brazil from the plains of the 

 campos, and descend the hills of the Rio das Velhas 

 valley, there on all sides one notices, in the great trees 

 which stand solitary in the neighbourhood of dwellings, 

 large melon-shaped masses of earth on the stout, spread- 

 ing branches. Their appearance is striking. You 

 might take them to be the nests of termites ; but then 

 they have an opening on one side, and they are all of 

 one size and shaped alike, while the constructions of 

 termites are irregular in form and are never placed 

 freely on a branch, but always at a point where it is 

 forked. We soon find out, however, what is the true 

 nature of these heaps of earth ; we recognize the large 

 oval aperture at the side, and presently we may see 

 going in and out a little bird with warm brown plumage : 

 it is, in fact, a bird's nest that of the Oven Bird, known 

 to every native by the name of ' Johnny Clay/ c Jono 

 de barro.' " 



Like the Australian Pied Grallina, the Oven Bird 

 does not appear to pay particular heed to the con- 

 cealment of its nest; and, indeed, the safe hiding of 

 so conspicuous an object would be no easy matter. 

 Various sites, however^ are selected ; for in addition to 

 the exposed position on the boughs of solitary trees, 

 as described by Burmeister, the bird will build in fairly 

 dense bushes, and sometimes on beams in sheds and 

 outhouses. The walls of the dome-shaped nest are 

 about an inch in thickness, so that it is a most remark- 



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