58 Lieut. R. E. Vauglian and Staff-Surg. K. H. Jones 



cliink/^ so out o£ proportion to its size, is continually to be 

 lieard, both in gardens and in the woodland. 



The most remarkable thing about this cheerful bird is 

 its wonderful and beautiful nest, and as a great deal of time 

 was spent in observation of it during nidification rather full 

 notes are given on this interesting subject. 



As all the world knows, the Tailor-bird makes a receptacle 

 or bag in which to build its nest, by stitching together the 

 free edges of one or more large leaves. In the majority of 

 cases two large leaves growing near to one another are united 

 to form a bag, but in a considerable minority the free edges 

 of a single leaf of sufficient size are approximated, and in two 

 cases three leaves were stitched together to receive the nest. 



The first operation is to pierce the selected leaf or leaves, 

 which the bird does with its bill, at a half to an inch from 

 the free margins, always making a far larger number of 

 holes than are subsequently threaded with the cotton 

 strands. 



The first stitch is invariably put in about halfway down 

 the leaf, and the two edges are closely approximated by it, 

 and this is done by knotting first one end and then the 

 other of the cotton strand. 



After placing the first stitch in position others are put in 

 between it and the free extremity of the leaf or leaves in 

 order to complete the bag, and it is rare for any to be 

 inserted nearer to the stalk. 



Having completed the bag the bird proceeds to fill in the 

 tip of it with vegetable down, or at Hong Kong, where it is 

 available, with soft brown material from the crown of the 

 opening Sago-palm, and having thus made a solid base builds 

 upon it a small round nest of very fine grass, and lines it 

 with the down aforesaid and a few feathers. 



Now% although at the completion of the leaf bag, the 

 edges of the leaf or leaves are always closely approximated, 

 when the nest has been built they are invariably widely 

 gaping, the contained structure, so to speak, striving to 

 burst through, so that it follows that the cotton strands must 



