Some Foreign Bird Architects. 



Of the manner in which the wonderful nest is woven 

 Dr. Jerdon gives the following minute and deeply in- 

 teresting account : " The nest is frequently made of 

 grass of different kinds plucked when green, some- 

 times of strips of plantain leaf, and not infrequently 

 of strips from the leaves of the date palm or cocoa- 

 nut ; and I have observed that nests made of this last 

 material are smaller and less bulky than those made 

 with grass, as if the little architects were quite aware 

 that with such strong fibre less amount of material 

 was necessary. The nest varies much in the length 

 both of the upper part, or support, and the lower tube, 

 or entrance, and the support is generally solid from 

 the point whence it is hung for two or three inches, 

 but varies much both in length and strength. When 

 the structure has advanced to the spot where the birds 

 have determined the egg compartment to be, a strong 

 transverse loop is formed, not in the exact centre, but 

 a little at one side. If this is taken from the tree and 

 reversed, the nest has the appearance of a basket with 

 its handle, but less so in this than in other species, 

 which have seldom any length of support above. 

 Various authors have described this loop or bar as 

 peculiar to the male nest or sitting nest, whereas it 

 exists primarily in all, and is simply the point of separa- 

 tion between the real nest and the tubular entrance, 

 and, being used as a perch both by the old birds and 

 the young (when grown sufficiently), requires to be 

 very strong. Up to this time both sexes have worked 

 together indiscriminately, but when this loop is com- 

 pleted the female takes up her seat upon it, leaving 

 the cock bird to fetch more fibre and work from the 



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