NATURAL HISTORY. 191 



was for the male bird to sit on and keep watch, 

 while the female was inside of the nest sitting 

 on the eggs ; but I think this is a mistake. 

 And some have said, that when the female 

 leaves the nest, and the male wishes to go too, 

 he sits in this pocket, and beats against the 

 side of the nest with his wing until he has 

 made the edges of the top meet, and thus shuts 

 up the mouth of the nest, and keeps oif insects 

 and other animals that would eat the young 

 ones ; but I do not believe this story." 



" Then what do you think the pocket is for, 

 Uncle Philip?" 



" I think, boys, that it is nothing but a 

 perch, or place for the bird to sit on before 

 going into the nest. If the bird had no such 

 place for stopping, it might be troubled to 

 get into its nest. The mouth is small, and 

 the bird could not enter it with its wings 

 spread ; and if it should alight on the edge of 

 the nest constantly, it would injure it, for it is 

 but slightly made. And I will tell you another 

 reason why I think this is the use of the 

 pocket. There is another bird in South 

 Africa, called the pine-pine, which is the same 

 species of bird as the Cape-tit ; and this bird 

 we know uses its little nest built upon the side 



