258 BIRDS' NESTS 



excreta of wood-loving caterpillars are attached, 

 whilst small portions of the same material are often 

 studded over the exterior of the nest itself, as well 

 as cob-webs ; the lining is formed of the fine brown- 

 coloured down off the reeds of scrub plants, together 

 with a good deal of cob-web. The nest itself, exclusive 

 of the " beard " or pendent, is about five inches in 

 length, the tapering portion below about three inches. 

 A very interesting circumstance was observed by the 

 above named gentleman in connection with the nest 

 of this bird. That was, that it always seemed to build 

 its nest in close proximity to a wasps' nest, from within 

 a few inches to four feet away — a peculiarity already 

 remarked of some other birds {conf. p. 224). More 

 information relating to the architecture of another of 

 these birds has been published by iVlr Alfred North. 

 This relates to the Great-billed Gerygone (G. mag- 

 nirostris). This species generally builds its nest in 

 low trees overhanging a river or a creek, but one nest 

 was discovered in a shaddock tree in a garden. It 

 is a long pendent structure, varying from sixteen to 

 twenty-four inches in length, usually attached to the 

 drooping end of a nearly leafless twig. The end of 

 this twig is first covered with an irregular layer of 

 material between two and three inches in diameter, 

 and from nine to twelve inches in length, before the 

 actual nest is commenced. This is domed with a 

 projecting porch over the entrance, whilst the lower 

 portion of the nest terminates in a straggling beard 



