. Birds of the water, wood & waste . ^•4. %■■. ^.^si. WOOD AND WASTE 137 The Waxeye breeds a month or six weekslater than the Fantail, and it is not tillOctober that the tiny nest may be discoveredin a trail of native bramble flung on alacebark or manuka sapling, or cunninglyhidden on the edge of a patch of lowscrub or dense bracken, and for choicesuspended over water. The two or three delicate eggs of paleblue hang in the frailest looking fairybasket imaginable, a diaphanous cradle,woven on to frond or branchlet, and stirredby every breath of wind. The nest, thoughso slight in appearance, is
. Birds of the water, wood & waste . ^•4. %■■. ^.^si. WOOD AND WASTE 137 The Waxeye breeds a month or six weekslater than the Fantail, and it is not tillOctober that the tiny nest may be discoveredin a trail of native bramble flung on alacebark or manuka sapling, or cunninglyhidden on the edge of a patch of lowscrub or dense bracken, and for choicesuspended over water. The two or three delicate eggs of paleblue hang in the frailest looking fairybasket imaginable, a diaphanous cradle,woven on to frond or branchlet, and stirredby every breath of wind. The nest, thoughso slight in appearance, is really sufficientlystrong, and is firmly fastened on to thesupporting bough with web and wool, andlined with long, pliable bents and horsehair;for further ornamentation it is striped andcrossed with fresh faded leaves of softmeadow grass, their pale pilose surfaces,flat on the exterior, blending exquisitelywith the bluish cocoon wool and greyspider web. At a later stage many of the nests hangquite awry. Although perfectly secure, theparents do not s
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1910
