G A N G E T I C H I N D O O S T A r:<. 265 



neft tribe. It is of the fize of a fparrow, is named Baya in the Hang-nest 

 Hindoo i Berber e in the Sanjkrit, and Babin in the Bengal. It ^ "^^ ^^^' 

 has a yellowifli-brown plumage, yellowifli head and feet, Hght- 

 colored breaft, and very thick bill. It feems the Pbilippine 

 Loxia of my friend Latham, iii. p. 129. PL Enl. tab. cxxxv. 

 fig, 1. the male. Tlie accounts of the oeconomy of this bird are 

 lb complete, that I will not fpoil the account of Atker Aly Khariy 

 but give it entire, iinmutilated. 



*' It is," fays the rare naturalift of the diftant plains of Delbiy 

 " a bird exceedingly common in Hindoojian ; it is aftonifliingly 

 *' fenfible, faithful and docile, never voluntarily deferting the 

 ** place where his young w^ere hatched; but not averle, like 

 <' moft other birds, to the fociety of mankind, and eafily taught 

 " to perch on the hand of his marter. In a ftate of nature he 

 " generally builds his neil: on the higheft tree that he can find, 

 " efpecially on the Palmyra, or on the Indian fig-tree, and he 

 " prefers that which happens to overhang a well or a rivulet; he 

 " makes it of grafs, which he weaves like cloth, and lliapes 

 " like a large bottle, fvifpending it firmly on the branches, but 

 " lb as to rock w'ith the wdnd, and placing it with its entrance 

 *' downwards to fecure it from birds of prey. His neit ufually 

 *' confifts of two or three chambers ; and it is the popular be- 

 ** lief, that he lights them with fire flies which he catches alive 

 " at night, and confines with moift clay, or with cow-dung; 

 « that fuch flies are often found in his neft, where pieces of 

 *' cov/-dung are alfo ftuck, is indubitable ; but as their light 

 " could be of little ufe to him, it feems probable, that he only 

 « feeds on them. He may be taught with eafe to fetch a piece 



Vol. II. M m " of 



