TJie Black-headed Sibia. 
107 
" the first e<;<i; is laid. These Sil)ias have a peculiar habit of deserting 
"their nests on the least provocation — iiierfl// rliinhhiff the tree and only 
" peeping into the nest in sonic oases is enonifh-and it is most difficult 
" therefore to make any observations. I have been unable to ascertain 
" the time which elapses between the laying of the eggs, but the hen be- 
" gins to brood after the first egg has been laid. She is Veiy wary, and 
"generally le; ves the nest long before a person gets to the tree. So far as 
" my experieces go, J do not think that the cock takes any part in the 
" hatching of the eggs. The number of eggs varied from two tln-ee.. 
" In one nest I found a solitary (hitk wriggling out of the thel', ai d the 
" largest number of young found in a nest were two I am 
"unable to give the period of incubation, but I doubt if it exeeds fourteen 
" days. Both birds feed the young, but there are gaps in my notes as to 
"how long the latter remain in the nest." 
[Mrs. Warren Vernon in 1908 met with a partial suc- 
cess with this speeics, full details of which appeared ia B.N., 
Vol. VII., pages 148—9. It will, I think, however, be well 
to recapitulate the main facts here : — 
Building operations were commenced 12th July and the 
nest was completed two days later. 
The nest was constructed of hay— very deep- in some 
branches against wire netting, facing we/st. 
Two eggs were laid, a little shorter than a Black- 
bird's, pale blue in colour with brown markings. 
The first egg was laid on June 22nd, and the second 
on the 23rd. 
First egg hatched July Gth, second July 7th. 
The fledgelings were blind, quite naked, and of a deep 
red -brown colour. 
The last hatched fledgeling only lived five days, the 
(Other throve well, the quills appeared on the seventh day, 
on the tenth day the colours of the plumage were plainly 
visible, and on the twelvth day, when it died, it was in 
every respect the same in colouring as its parents— it was 
well nourished and there was no apparent cause save in- 
clement weather for its death. 
With best thanks and apologies to Mr. Dodsworth and 
the editors of J. of B.N.H.S.— Ed.] 
