346 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



inches in diameter across the neck, next the nest, to five or 

 six inches across its trumpet-like mouth or further extremity. 

 Mr Kobb informed Dr Smith that these nests were generally 

 hung from the branches of palm trees, the leaflets of the palm 

 being worked round the neck of the nest, and frequently 

 over water, so that the bird could safely enter from below 

 the pendant opening of its long passage, and creep up to 

 the nest above, and no monkey or snake could manage to 

 get at the nest. Dr Smith believed the bird to belong to the 

 family of the Weaver birds, but the species he was not yet 

 cognisant of. He had, however, written to Mr Kobb to 

 send home, if possible, specimens of the builder of the nest, 

 so that there might be no doubt of the species. The nest 

 was beautifully and strongly made of the interlaced stalks 

 apparently of grasses. 



Professor Balfour, in reply to inquiries by Dr Smith, 

 stated that the plants forming the nest belong to the rnono- 

 cotyledonous class, and were probably glumiferous ; the 

 venation and stomata indicate this. 



Mr Hewan informed Dr Smith of the existence of another 

 curious Calabar pensile nest, which was frequently built in the 

 palm leaves ; the bird apparently stripped the leaflets of the 

 palm from their midribs, and plaited them into the nest, the 

 naked midribs supporting the finished fabric. Dr Smith 

 hoped at some future time to be able also to exhibit to the 

 Society specimens of this very curious nest. 



(2.) A Specimen of the Lanius excubitor {the Great Grey Shrike), shot 

 near Roslin, was exhibited by Dr John Alex. Smith. 



Dr Smith was indebted to J. W. W. Wedderburn, Esq. of 

 Eosebank, Eoslin, for being able to exhibit the fine adult male 

 specimen of the Lanius excubitor, the Great Grey Shrike, 

 now on the table It was shot by him in the end of Decem- 

 ber last, and he informed Dr Smith that he had also seen 

 another specimen of the bird in the same neighbourhood a 

 few days after ; not having his gun, this bird escaped. The 

 specimen exhibited, Dr Smith said, had in its stomach a 

 gold-crested wren, which was entire, with the exception of the 

 head being crushed — the usual manner in which the shrike 



