614 



Mr. G. L. Bates on the 



to me, one identified by the two large nestlings (Nos. 3713, 

 3714) and the others by female birds all shewing signs of 

 sitting. These nests were deep cups made entirely of strips 

 of the leaf-sheaths o£ the cane-like grass esong (plural bisony), 

 amongst which the birds spend all their lives and from 

 which they get their Bulu name. These birds do not spare 

 material in building their nests, and one which was in a 



Text-lio'. 19. 



A. Tongue of yoiinp: Ca/ainocich!a nifesct'tis, see p. 613. B. Tongue of 

 nestling Biiniesia bairdi, see p. 01 -5. 0. Tongue of half-Heciged 

 young Prinia mydacai. D. Tongue of nestling SylvicUa denti, see 

 p. 621. 



very acute-angled triple fork of esong had a base more than 

 eight inches deep, all the angle being filled up to a height 

 where it was large enough for the cavity of the nest. 



The nestlings had the swollen margin of the gape whitish, 

 the inside of the mouth orange-yellow, and a pair of large 

 black tongue-spots. 



Of the other nests one contained a single egg (No. 301) 

 measuring 19 X 14 mm. ; the other contained two (Nos. 592, 

 593) measuring .20 X 15 and 19*5 x 14 mm. 



[Three eggs are of a rather wide oval form and almost 

 devoid of gloss. They are white or pale greenish-white 

 rather sparingly marked all over the shell with small si)ots 

 and blotches of yellowish-brown, dark grey, and light grey, 

 the markings being more numerous towards the larger 

 end.— W. R. O.-G.] 



