The YOtfHC HATUBAUST : 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 102. OCTOBER 22nd, 1881. Vol. 2. 



CURIOUS BIRDS' NESTS. 



ON plates 27 and 29 we presented 

 to our readers several forms of the 

 homes of our feathered friends. Plate 

 27 represents the "bower" of the 

 Bower bird. This remarkable bird is 

 a native of Australia. There are several 

 species, but the one figured has the 

 male of a very dark glossy purple, 

 almost black, while the female is drab 

 or greenish, barred and marked with 

 darker colour. The bower is formed by 

 first making a flat platform of slender 

 twigs, and then inserting others with 

 their thick ends into it, in two rows, 

 meeting over the top, in the form shown 

 in the plate. Both entrances to this 

 bower are decorated with bits of ribbon, 

 buttons, shells, or any other shining 

 material the bird can get hold of. This 

 is not a true nest, in fact serves no 

 purpose of a nest, but is used entirely 

 as a place of amusement, the birds — not 

 only those that have built it, but others 

 of the same species — running through, 

 chasing each other, and sporting all 

 day long. Very few, if any other, ex- 

 amples occur of animals erecting a 

 structure simply for amusement. 



The other plate (29) represents sev- 

 eral forms of pensile nests, chiefly of 



that family of birds called Weaver birds. 

 These remarkable structures are truly 

 works of art, and are designed by the 

 little architects in all probability, in 

 order that the offspring may escape the 

 dangers of the foes to which they are 

 exposed, such as snakes, kc. In many 

 instances they are suspended on slender 

 twigs overhanging water, and so difficult 

 to get at that we seldom see them in 

 collections, except one or two of the 

 commonest kinds like that in the centre 

 of the plate, belonging to the Bava 

 Sparrow. The bottle-shaped nest of 

 the Mahali Weaver Bird represented at 

 the top of the plate is very curious. It 

 is composed of blades of grass, each 

 with the thick end protruding from the 

 outside, giving it quite a hedgehog 

 appearance. The long slender nest is 

 that of the Crested Casique. It is hung 

 by a small portion at the top, and swings 

 to and fro with every breath of air. 

 Many of the Orioles build beautiful 

 pensile nests : that of the Baltimore 

 Oriole is represented on the right hand 

 side of the plate, suspended from two 

 slender branches. Many other beautiful 

 nests might be cited, but if our young 

 readers would visit the museums they 

 will see many for themselves ; and even 



