UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 289 



portion for their little guide, so that not having 

 enough to satisfy him, he immediately flew off 

 to find more. These birds construct very sin- 

 gular nests : they are composed of slender fila- 

 ments of bark, woven together in the form of a 

 bottle ; the neck and opening hang downwards, 

 and a string is loosely fastened across the open- 

 ning, on which they perch. 



Colonel Travers told us, that the skin of these 

 bin 1 s is so extremely thick, that it can scarcely 

 be pierced by a pin ; and the bees therefore 

 attack them by endeavouring to sting their eyes. 



\Sth. Colonel Travers was describing to-day 

 the areca or betel nut palm. The berry of this 

 tree is, you know, constantly used by the In- 

 dians, who chew it both green and dry. 



The preservation of the fruit during the rainy 

 season, and the cutting it down when ripe, 

 require much expertness and agility. He says, 

 that from the middle of winter to the middle of 

 spring, the leaves fall off: each leaf is attached 

 to a broad leathern petiole or leaf-stalk ; and 

 these membranes, which are about three feet 

 long, and half that breadth, are preserved for the 

 rainy season as covers for the young bunches 

 of fruit. This business is performed by a par- 

 ticular set of people ; for the stem of the tree, 

 which is about fifty feet high, straight, smooth, 

 and without branches, like most of the palm 



VOL. i. 2 c 



