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THE TAILOR-BIRD AND THE ORIOLE. 
CHAPTER V. 
THE TAILOR-BIED AND THE ORIOLE, 
The birds in a tropical forest are exposed to 
many dangers ; and if they were not gifted 
with instinct, they would soon fall victims to 
their enemies. The monkeys are lying in 
wait for their eggs, and so is the snake, that 
glides stealthily amongst the bushes. 
The mother bird knows very well what she 
has to expect if either of these cunning foes 
should find entrance into her nest ; and she 
generally contrives to conceal it so skilfully 
that neither snake nor monkey can find it. 
The tailor-bird of India is no bigger than 
the humming-bird, and has a long stender bill, 
which she uses as a needle. She is very 
timid and cautious, and will not hang her 
nest, as many birds do, to the end of a bough. 
Even there she does not fancy it will be safe ; 
so she fastens it to the leaf itself ; and so 
carefully that no one can see it. 
First of all she picks up a dead leaf from 
the ground, and then with her needle and 
