f 04 O F I N S T I N C T. SECT. XVI. i> 



it to the fide of a living one, its flender bill being 

 its needle, and its thread fome fine fibres ; the lin- 

 ing confifts of feathers, gofTamer, and down; iu 

 eggs are white, the colour of the bird light yellow, 

 its length three inches, its weight three ftxteenths 

 of an ounce ; fo that the materials of the neft, and 

 the weight of the bird, are not likely to draw down 

 an habitation fo flightly fufpended. A neft of this, 

 bird is preferved in the Bririfh Mufeum, (Pennant** 

 Indian Zoology). This calls te* one's mind the Mo- 

 faic account of the origin of mankind, the firft 

 dawning of art there afcribed to rhem r i^that of 

 fewing leaves together. For many other curious 

 kinds of nefts fee Natural Hiftory for Children, by 

 Mr. Galton. Johnfon. London Part I. p. 47* 

 Gen. Oriolus* 



3, Thofe birds that are brought up by our care* 

 and have had little communication with others of 

 their own fpecies, are very defective in this ac- 

 quired knowledge ; they are not only very awk^ 

 ward in the conftrucUon of their nefts, but gene- 

 rally fcatter their eggs in various parts of the room 

 or cage, where they are confined, and feldom pro- 

 duce young ones, till, by failing in their firft at- 

 tempt, they have learnt fomsthing from their owrv 

 obfervation. 



4. During the time of incubation birds are faid' 

 in general to turn their eggs every day ; fome cover 

 them, when they leave the neft, as^ ducks and' 

 geefe.; in fome the male is^faid to bring food to the 

 female, that (he may have lefs occafion of abfence r 

 m others he is faid to take her place, when (he goes 

 in queft, of food - r and all of rhem are faid to kave 

 their eggs a fhorter time in- cold weather than in 

 warm. In. Senegal' the oftrich fits on her eggs only 

 during the night, leaving them in the day to thq, 

 heat of the fun ; but at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 where the heat is lefs,, fh$ fits on them day and 

 night. 



If 



