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THK FURNARIUS l-'ULIGlKOSrS. 



This bird inhabits the Malouine islands. It lives on the beach, where its familiarity 

 and fearless disposition permits approach till it may almost be touched with the hand. A 

 naturalist, who sojourned in these islands, remarks : " This bird is so tame that it will 

 almost fly upon the finger ; in less than half an hour I killed ten with a small switcli, 

 and almost without changing ray position. It scratches in the goemons (fiiciis) which 

 the sea throws on the beach, and there eats worms and small shrimps, which they call 

 sea-fleas (pvces cle mer). Its flight is short. When disturbed, it contents itself with 

 flyinf two or three paces farther off. Its habits are solitary." 



" The entire plumage of the bird is a clear fuliginous brown. The neck above exhibits 

 yellow and brown ill-defined strife. The under side of the tail is a bright gray-brown. 

 it constructs its nest in the form of an oven (/oar), whence comes its name. 



This bird may properly be classed among the Masons, of which there are many in 

 Britain and America. The blackbird, the wood-robin of America, the pewit fly-catcher, 

 and some others, employ a portion of masonry, cither on the outside or in the middle 

 of their nests ; but the material used being chiefly mud or clay, the structure is 

 rude and unfinished. But the Fii/iiarhis, called " the Biiker," from its oven-like 

 structure, is a mason of no ordinary skill. Its nest is composed of earth, and ihougli it 

 is of considerable size, it is often completed in two days' labour, the male and female 

 cn^ai-ino- equally in the task, each carrying alt(n-uately a ball fif mnrt;n- about the size of 

 a filbert. It is six inches and a half in diameter, nnd an indi thick. The (i])ening, 

 which is lateral, is twice as high as it is wide; and the interior is diviih-d into two 

 chambers, bv a jxirtitinn begiiiniiin- at the enlnim-c. and cir.iled ciniihirly l)acl<\vards. 



