222 BIRDS' NESTS 



peculiar to Aldabra Island suspends its nest from the 

 branches of a mangrove or other bush near the shore, 

 or even from a stalk of grass or euphorbia, hanging 

 in the chasms of the coral rocks. Dr Abbot has 

 recorded his observations of the nest-building of this 

 species as follows : " The nest is neatly constructed 

 of fibres of bark, generally mangrove. The female 

 selects a suitable hanging leaf or branch, and attaches 

 some fibres of bark firmly to it ; other fibres are then 

 attached to this until an oval mass is formed ; this 

 is then opened out by the bird entering her head and 

 then her body into the mass. IVIore material is now 

 added to the outside, the bird occasionally entering 

 the cavity and enlarging it by kicking and flutter- 

 ing; finally the inside is lined with feathers. The 

 construction of fhe nest occupies about eight 

 days" {Froc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. p. 536). 

 Another remarkably pretty nest is made by the 

 Cinnyris habessinicus, which is also hung from a 

 drooping branch, and is purse or pocket shaped, with 

 a protecting hood, or porch over the entrance. A nest 

 obtained by Mr Lort Phillips, in Somaliland, was 

 composed entirely of spiders' webs garnished all over 

 with small empty cocoons. Another species, the 

 Yellow-breasted Sun-bird (C. jugularis), breeding in 

 the Philippine Islands, makes a similarly porched 

 nest, the hooded entrance being on the side, com- 

 posed of fibres, dry grass, and leaves, cemented 

 together with spiders' webs, and lined with finer 



