How Animals Work. 



of grass meeting above the nest form a perfect shelter 

 from the weather, and also screen it completely from 

 view. In this dainty little nest we have a combina- 

 tion of weaving and actual stitching which is particu- 

 larly interesting, and shows a high degree of skill on 

 the part of the enthusiastic little bird, which works away 

 with such untiring and persistent energy that, from 

 start to finish, the building of the nest|is often com- 

 pleted within five days. 



And now I come to a well-known and truly re- 

 markable bird craftsman, whose highly skilled work 

 has long been a source of wonder and admiration : 

 this is the Tailor Bird, familiar throughout the whole 

 of the Indian peninsula, Burma, and China. In these 

 countries it appears to be most common in well-wooded 

 districts, and is a familiar bird about the gardens, 

 orchards, and hedgerows, where it eagerly hops about 

 among the branches of the trees and shrubs, hunting 

 for the various small insects upon which it feeds. A 

 good deal of individuality seems to be displayed on 

 the part of the bird in the construction of its nest ; for 

 while some are most highly finished, the leaves being 

 sewn together with the greatest care and neatness, in 

 others it is of far inferior character. The breeding 

 season in India lasts from May to August, and the 

 wonderful little nest consists of a deep, soft cup en- 

 closed in leaves, which the Tailor Bird sews together 

 so as to form a perfect protecting sheath (Plate XV.). 

 " The nests vary very much in appearance," writes 

 Mr. Hume, " according to the number and descrip- 

 tion of leaves which the bird employs, and the manner 

 in which it employs them ; but the nest itself is usually 



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