The Zoologist— OcToitKi?, 1871. '2785 



been placed in a slanting direction in a -bush close to the cliiirch- 

 door, laying the usual complement of three eggs. They were not, 

 however, allowed to rear their brood in peace and safety, as tlie 

 cljameleon (C. vulgaris), so common in all the gardens here, 

 devoured their eggs. The other pair took possession of an old 

 piece of cloth that had been thrown over the bough of a tree, and 

 which formed a sort of loop or bag at the bottom, inside of which 

 the nest was placed. Out of a great many nests of this bird 

 examined by me this season only two have contained four eggs. 

 They build almost exclusively in holes of mud walls and banks, 

 selecting by preference those that have a small entrance. One 

 nest was brought to me the other day beautifully lined with cast-off 

 snakes' skins. 



Prinia Slewarli. — Owing to the inclemency of the weather, the 

 geranium pots in the garden were placed in the verandah of the 

 house I am at present living in, and, strange to say, a pair of these 

 warblers commenced building in the leaves of one of the plants 

 immediately under the window. When the nest was about half 

 finished the birds forsook it, without apparently any reason, as they 

 were never molested in any way. On examining the nest, however, 

 the cause was evident, and afforded a remarkable instance of 

 instinct and sagacity on the part of the little architects. The leaves 

 that had been pierced and sewn together had actually commenced 

 to wither, and in the course of a few days later the whole structure 

 came down bodily. This is the only Prinia to be found here, and 

 they are one of our most common garden birds. Their beautiful 

 brick-red eggs and neatly-sewn nests are too well known to require 

 description, but there is one point in connexion with the withering 

 up of the pierced leaves that is perhaps worth mentioning. The 

 dry leaves that are sometimes met with, attached to the nest of this 

 species, as well as of the tailor-bird {Orthotomus longicauda) and 

 which gave rise to the erroneous idea that the " bird picks up a 

 dead leaf, and, surprising to relate, sews it to the side of a living 

 one" (Jerdon's ' Birds of India,' vol. ii. p. J 67), is easily accounted 

 for. 1 took a nest of the tailor-bird a short time ago from a brinjal 

 plant {Solanum esculeutum), which had all the appearance of 

 having had dead leaves attached to it. The nest originally con- 

 sisted of three leaves, but two of them had been pierced to excess, 

 and not only had they separated from the stem of the plant, but had 

 actually decayed, owing to the rain. 'J'hese were hanging from the 



