. A naturalist's wanderings in the Eastern archipelago; a narrative of travel and exploration from 1878 to 1883. Natural history. 58 A NATURALIST'S WANBERINGS nests, -whiek had been blown down before being properly- secured, or were they, perhaps, abandoned unsuccessful first attempts ? They had the exact shape of tiny key baskets, suck as are used by housewives, one end being weighted with a layer of clay. I was also struck by the fact that different indi- viduals had adopted different forms of nests, wkick, though agreeing fundamentally, exhibited considerable variation. The bulk of them wer
. A naturalist's wanderings in the Eastern archipelago; a narrative of travel and exploration from 1878 to 1883. Natural history. 58 A NATURALIST'S WANBERINGS nests, -whiek had been blown down before being properly- secured, or were they, perhaps, abandoned unsuccessful first attempts ? They had the exact shape of tiny key baskets, suck as are used by housewives, one end being weighted with a layer of clay. I was also struck by the fact that different indi- viduals had adopted different forms of nests, wkick, though agreeing fundamentally, exhibited considerable variation. The bulk of them were of the retort shape, set with a long- necked orifice hanging down- ward, but a considerable number, of the progressionist party per- haps, kad inaugurated a new ABANDONED NEST-FODNDATioN, fashiou by inverting the retort and shortening the neck, giving the doorway an upward and forward entrance, which, if more enticing to depredators, may perhaps be less awkward to the owners. I much regret that I have no note as to the position of the clay in this new form ; for what was previously tke bottom of tke nest kad become a dome over tke bird, wkile its eggs were laid in wkat would correspond in tke older pattern witk tke upper curve of tke neck of tke retort, so tkat if my belief is correct tkat tke use of tke clay is to retain tke nest in its vertical position, it ougkt to be found occupying a corresponding site in tke new structure. It is possible, kowever, tkat the deviation from tke ancestral pattern may result from an unequal distribution of clay during tke laying of tke foundation of the nest, causing it to become reversed without diverting the bird's purpose from completing its work as best it could, under the altered conditions. One of the bird-cries that early attract attention is the reiterated, unvaried call of the Bell-birds (Megalasniinm), poured forth in long stretches from the top of some high tree, where, from their plumage according so well with the varied colours
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
