296 SYLVIIDjE. 



five twigs of the jhao (Tamarix dioica), measures externally 2-75 

 inches in diameter, is a good deal longer at what may be called the 

 back than the front, and at the back fully 5-5 long. Internally the 

 diameter is about 1-5, and the cavity, measuring from the lowest 

 portion of the external rim, is 2-5. This is a very large nest. 

 Another, built between three leaves, has an external diameter of 

 about 2| inches, and is externally not above 3 inches long. It is 

 unnecessary here to describe the beautiful manner in which, when 

 it makes use of leaves, this bird sews them together, as this has 

 already been well described by others where 0. sutorius is 

 concerned, and P. steivarti is, in some cases, when forming a nest 

 with leaves, fully as neat a workman. 



The nests vary so much, and I have heard so much discussioa 

 about them, that having seen at least a hundred and having taken 

 full notes of some twenty of them, I shall reproduce a few of these 

 notes : — 



" Agra, July 17th. — Two nests — one nearly globular, composed 

 entirely of fibrous roots, hair, wool, and thread, and lined with fine 

 grass, suspended by a few fibres and hairs between the fork of a 

 branchlet in a little dense bush of Indian box ; the other, suspended 

 from the tendril of an elephant creeper, was principally formed by 

 one of the leaves of this, to which, to form the remaining third of 

 the exterior, a second leaf of the same plant was carefully sewn. 

 Interiorly there was a little wool, and at the bottom fine grass. 



" July 20th. — On a furash-tree (Tamarix furas), beautifully 

 made of fine soft wool, shreds of tow and string, very fine grass 

 and grass-roots, and the bottom neatly lined with very fine grass- 

 roots. In shape the nest is like one half of a long old-fashioned 

 silk purse, round-bottomed and very compact, with a long slit-like 

 opening on one side towards the top. It contained five eggs. 



" July 26th. — Two nests, one formed almost entirely in a single 

 mango-leaf, the sides of which are curled round so as nearly to 

 meet, and then laced by a succession of cross-threads of cobweb, 

 carefully knotted at each place where the margin of the leaf is 

 pierced. The intervening space is closed by fine tow, wool, and 

 the silky down of the cotton-tree, with just the top of a small 

 mango-leaf caught in from above so as to form an arched roof. 

 The other nest was rounder in form, having less of a leafy structure. 

 It had, however, the leaf of the Phalsa forming the back and sides 

 (partly), whilst the whole of the front was composed of soft wool, 

 tow, dry grass-roots, thread, and a few pieces of the soft tree- 

 cotton. It had a neighbouring leaf just caught in on one side. 

 This contained four fresh eggs. 



" July 'SOth. — A beautiful nest between three twigs, several of the 

 leaves of each of which had been tacked on to the outside of the nest. 

 The nest itself was firmly put together with fine grass-roots, and 

 was nearly globular in shape, with one side continued upwards 

 into a sort of hood overhanging the greater portion of the aper- 

 ture. It contained four eggs of the usual deep red colour. 



" August Sth. — At Bichpoori found a number of nests, and some 



