PABVUS) IN GERMAN EAST AFRICA 
413 
nests were 12-15 ft. from the ground, and were attached to the 
frond of the leaf just below its union with the mid-rib of the 
leaf. The inner side of the leaf being concave, a few feathers 
are gummed to its surface over an area 4J in. in length and 
2 in. in width which is the width of the frond. At the lower 
end of the patch the shallowest of cups is formed, and the two 
white eggs rest upon this and are gummed to the back of the 
nest. These eggs will not fall out though the nest be turned 
completely topsy-turvy and the branch that bears it be 
roughly shaken. The eggs in the first nest could be seen whilst 
standing directly underneath. 
Incubation . — The incubating parent grasps the back feathers 
of the nest with its claws and presses itself against the eggs ; 
of seven nests examined to-day, in three cases it was the male 
incubating the eggs, and in the remaining four, females. 
There is always more or less of a breeze here and frequently 
a strong wind rising to a gale after sunset. As may be imagined 
the fronds are swaying up and down nearly all the time and 
the back of the brooding bird is often underneath. 
Young . — When hatched the young cling tenaciously to 
the feathery wall, and on my disturbing two they actually 
lowered themselves down, and as far as possible into their old 
egg-shells which of course continued to occupy the cup-part 
of the nest. The latter swarmed with bird lice and several 
other species of minute parasites. Two youngsters which 
were in the downy stage could scarcely be distinguished from 
the feathers which comprised the nest. 
Contents of nests — 
1. Single eggs highly incubated. 
2. Two eggs, one incubated or bad, the other almost 
fresh. 
3. Two eggs, both highly incubated. 
4. One egg broken and bad, and one newly fledged 
bird. 
5 Two young birds only a couple of days old. 
6. Two downy young. 
7. Empty except for crushed egg-shells, the young having 
flown. 
Though the palms bearing these nests were just out- 
