THE SWALLOW DICTUM. 



245 



The Swallow Dicseum 



tion, though the plain black and white of a wood engraving can 

 give but little idea of its full beauty. In color it is nearly pure 

 >7hite, being made of the cotton-like down which accompanies 

 and defends the seeds of many plants, and this material is so art- 

 fully woven that the nest almost looks aS if it were made from a 

 piece of very white cloth. It is always purse-like in form, though 

 its shape is slightly variable, and is suspended by the upper por- 

 tion to the twigs at the very summit of the tree. Generally it 

 hangs its nest upon the parasitic plant which has already been 

 mentioned, but it often selects the Casuarinae, or the delicate 

 twigs of the myall or weeping acacia for that purpose. The av- 

 erage number of eggs is five, and their color is grayish-white 

 thickly powdered with small brown specks. Their length is 

 about three quarters of an inch, and their breadth rather less than 

 half an inch. 



