THE STITCHBIRD 59 
finer rootlets, interwoven with tree-fern scale, 
together with a small number of small feathers, 
and lastly, scale alone. Immediately beneath the 
stick foundation of this second nest the rooty 
humus was saturated with moisture. It was clean 
wet, however, without a trace of voided matter. 
Droppings noticed on the edge of the nest were 
contained in the usual sacs, which were doubtless 
swallowed by the old birds. Certainly they were 
not carried out in the bill. Indeed, on no single 
occasion during several weeks’ watch was any- 
thing visibly carried in or out. Apparently the 
nestlings were fed entirely on nectar. Often 
after emergence from the nest the tongue of the 
parent bird was darted forth as if to cleanse the 
horn of the bill. Sometimes, too, I have thought 
I observed dribblings of a pure liquid fall from 
the bill, though it may have been gleamings and 
glancings of light reflected from the plumage of 
the restless birds. Often, at any rate, the bill is 
wiped on a bough or liane as if to get rid of sticki- 
ness. The small feathers also immediately beneath 
the throat seemed to be run together as if glued 
or gummed by some sticky substance. Droppings 
voided by the old birds in the vicinity of the nest 
were clear liquid. If the birds were agitated by 
any novel proceeding on our part, uneasiness 
produced on them the effect known to be caused 
by that emotion in other animals—evacuations 
