FAXTAIL AVATim-Ell. 91 



tlie "European Tailor Bird," from the manner in which 

 it sews up the materials of its nest: he declares also 

 that a knot was found by Hcrr V. Koenig at the be- 

 ginning of the thread! The narrow entrance is either 

 on the side or in the top, so that the nest has the 

 form of a bag. In the inside he says it is lined with 

 long grass leaves, and the eggs are five or six, in size 

 between our Common Wren and Goldcrest; they have 

 a very soft shining shell, and are either blue green, 

 like the Redstart, or paler, like those of the Pied 

 Flycatcher; or they are sometimes of a shining white 

 only. 



M. Moquin-Tandon has kindly sent me drawings of 

 three varieties of the egg, from which my figures are 

 taken: they were accompanied by the following remarks: 

 — "Si/lcia cisticola, Savi, from the south of France. 

 This bird's very remarkable nest is now well known, 

 and has been drawn many times, — those of Schinz 

 and Roux are sufficiently exact. I have lately given 

 a detailed description of this charming bird. It is well 

 known that the bird sews its nest to a tuft of carices 

 or grasses. Its form is that of an oblong purse, which 

 opens obliquely towards the top. It lays four or five, 

 and sometimes six, whitish eggs, which sometimes ap- 

 proach to very clear blue, (A,) and sometimes a rosy 

 tint, (B.) M. Le Brun sent me one variety much 

 darker." 



The male and female specimens sent me by M. E. 

 Verreaux, have the upper parts strongly marked with 

 black in the centre of the feathers, with a shade of 

 russet and grey on the borders; head and neck va- 

 ried with the same colours, and the rump red; throat 

 and middle of the belly white; the crop, sides of neck, 

 flanks, and under tail coverts russet yellow. Wings 



