«48 PESCKimON oF THE PLATE. June 22,- 



nfcertained by cxpeiiment ; neither hath any attempt 

 been nia-le to procure it (or the ufe of feamcn on long 

 voyages, though it is evident, that fubftances of this 

 f .rt, if they were found to be very nutricious, and 

 could be got at a moderate price, would be more pro- 

 per fo' fea Itores, than cither fruits, or grain, or meat 

 of an^' fort, as they could be preferved much longer 

 from corruption th^n any of thefe. Had the natives of 

 Africa been induced to cultivate iliis, and other ufeful 

 trees and plants fuited to their climate, along their vaft 

 txtendtd coalts, how much more beneficially would 

 they have been employed, than in hunting one another 

 like wild btafts, to be fold for (laves to Europeans I 



The leaves and young branches of this tree alfo is 

 the principal food of the Ca?jielnpardalis,-A. lingular ani- 

 mal (<f uncommon form and ilature, which is found in 

 thefe regions, of which we fhail fpeak more fully be- 

 low. 



On one of the branches of this tree alfo is reprefent- 

 ed a very lingular ipecies of b.rds nelt, of a conltruftion 

 that has nothing analogous to it, that we yet know ot on 

 the globe. The bird to which it belongs, is a fpecies of 

 Loxia, which ahvays makes choice of this tree for its 

 nell, feemingly on account of its great fize, and tiie 

 uncommon Imoorhnefs of its bark, on which ferpents 

 have great difficulty to mount, which are the great 

 enemies of Imall birds of ail kinds in warm regions. 

 The great ftrength of the boughs alfo of this tree are 

 well calculated to bear the great weigiit, which this 

 lingular congeries of neils foiiietimes attains. 



For thefe b;rdi do not build feparate detached nefts, 

 as almoll all oth^r,-. do; but they form, as it were, a town 

 of nelts built clofe to one another like the houfes of 

 Dicn in a city, the whole Itructure being covered with 

 one common roof, that protects every individual ha-/ 

 bitation from the inclenjcncies of tlie weather. This 

 town i« arranged into many Itrccts, with iislts opening 



