.172


The nest was like the very fluffy head of a fair child poised

in the flower-pot, but in front the dried grasses hung down, inter-

mingled with the creeper, like a long flowing beard. The first

thought naturally is that this long streamer was an accident, just

the materials that had been dropped by the birds and caught in

the creeper. But last autumn, after the leaves had fallen off the

Virginia creeper in the garden, I found the squatting-place of

the Masked Grassfinches. It was like a pedestal, about eight

inches high, nearly flat at the top, and without any covering

whatever, the mass of foliage amongst which it was built doubt-

less having been considered sufficient protection. But the most

interesting point about it was that all the way down, and all

round except on the side of the square post against which it was

built, the ends of the dry grasses of which it was constructed

hung down several inches, something like a shower bouquet.

With this before me, I should hesitate to say that the " beard "■

of the White-ears' nest had been caused altogether by accident.

This nest formed a very pretty object, and was preserved in a

spare room for many weeks. It was sunk in the flower-pot

slightly over one inch, and the dimensions were : — Height above

rim of flower-pot, 4 in. ; solid breadth, 7 in. ; extreme breadth,

10 in. ; solid depth, 5 in. ; extreme depth, 6 in. ; extreme height

from tip of beard, (which was mostly 5-7 in. broad, and extended

down just about as low as the creeper) over 30 in. Our artist's

drawing, bj^ the way, was not taken from this nest.


The poor little survivor, still known as The Widow, was

disconsolate at the loss of her mate ; and for manj^ days her

plaintive cry — which was often double like the call of a

Partridge, but more prolonged — quite rang in our ears and filled

our hearts with S3anpath3^


Some time elapsed before I was able to obtain another

specimen. I had quite looked forward to the Palace Show with

the hope that I might be able to obtain one there, but, splendid

Show as it was, it was so far incomplete that it did not contain

a single specimen of the White-eared Grassfinch. However, on

February igtli, I unexpe(5tedly dropped upon three, and carried

them all home with, much satisfaction. My objecfl had alwa3^s

been to obtain a mate for the poor little widow, but in this

respedl I was unsuccessful, for the new birds turned out to be a

married couple and a sedate spinster.


(To be contiiuicd).



