THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. [B. TX, 



.body is composed of these colours as well as the wings and 

 neck, nor is any part without every one of these colours. 

 Its bill is somewhat yellow, long, and slight ; this is its ex- 

 ternal form. Its nest resembles the marine balls which are 

 called halosachna}, 1 except in colour, for they are red ; in form 

 it resembles those sicyse (cucumbers) which have long necks ; 

 its size ia that of a very large sponge, for some are greater, 

 others less. They are covered up, and have a thick solid 

 part as well as the cavity ; it is not easily cut with a sharp 

 knife, but when struck or broken with the hand, it divides 

 readily like the halosachnae. The mouth is narrow, as it 

 were a small entrance, so that the sea-water cannot enter, 

 even if the sea is rough ; its cavity is like that of the sponge ; 

 the material of which the nest is composed is disputed, but 

 it appears to be principally composed of the spines of the 

 belone, for the bird itself lives on fish. It also ascends 

 rivers ; it does not produce more than five eggs ; it continues 

 to reproduce throughout the whole of its life, from the time 

 of being four months old. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



1. THE hoopoe generally makes its nest of human ordure. 

 It changes its appearance in summer and winter, like most 

 other wild birds. The titmouse, as they say, lays the 

 greatest number of eggs, some say that the bird called me- 

 lancoryphus lays the greatest number of eggs after the Libyan 

 sparrow, seventeen have been observed, but it will produce 

 more than twenty, and, as they say, it always lays a great 

 many. This bird also builds in trees, and lives upon worms. 

 It is characteristic of this bird and the nightingale not to 

 have any tip to their tongue. The eegithus has a good mode 

 of life, and is careful of its young, but is lame upon its feet. 

 The chlorion is a clever and diligent bird, but its flight is 

 difficult, and its colours bad. 



2. The elea, like some other birds, has an excellent mode 

 of life, and dwells during the summer in groves and in the 

 shade, and during the winter in sunshine, perching upon the 

 reeds on the sides of marshes. It is a small bird, with a 

 good voice. 



3. The bird called gnaphalus has a sweet voice, its colour^ 



1 Probably a Zoophyte, Alcyonia. 



