THE CAPOCIER. 551 



most remarkable point in the hue is, that in certain lights it 

 changes to that peculiar green which is known to artists as 

 " verditer," so that the bird seems absolutely to change its colour 

 if its position be shifted for only a few inches. Consequently, 

 a well arranged group will have two specimens placed in such a 

 manner that one glows in all the glory of its azure dress, while 

 another is vivid green. The wings are black, and retain their 

 colour in all lights. 



The nest of the Indigo Bird is set in a bush, and, according to 

 Wilson, is upheld by two twigs, one passing up each side, so as 

 to preserve the balance. To the twigs it is firmly bound with 

 the strong flaxen fibres of which the walls are formed, and its 

 lining is made of fine grasses. 



In Southern Africa there is a small, simply coloured, but 

 interesting bird, called by Le Vaillant the Capocier {Drymoica 

 maculosa) because it builds in a cotton-yielding tree, called by 

 the Dutch colonist Capoc-bosche. 



The attention of that naturalist was directed to the bird in 

 the following manner. 



Being, in common with all true naturalists, a lover of birds in 

 their living state, and being in no wise disposed to kill them with- 

 out necessity, he had contrived to tame a pair of little brown birds, 

 which at last became so familiar that they would enter his tent. 

 On these terms they remained until the beginning of the breed- 

 ing season, when they began to come less regularly, and then to 

 absent themselves for several successive days. About this time 

 they became thieves. M. Le Vaillant was accustomed to keep 

 on his table a quantity of tow and cotton-wool, which he used 

 in stuffing and otherwise preparing the skins which he had pro- 

 cured for his collection. The birds seemed suddenly to take a 

 wonderful fancy to the tow and cotton-wool, and were continually 

 flying off with them, sometimes stealing a piece that was nearly 

 as large as both the birds together. 



Struck with this sudden fancy of the birds, Le Vaillant 

 determined to watch them, and soon traced them to a capoc- 

 bosche tree which grew at some distance, and in a remarkably 

 retired spot. Among the branches of this tree they had already 

 begun their nest, which consisted of a quantity of moss pressed 

 tightly into the forks of a bougli, and which was at the time 



