190 CONVERSATIONS ON 



Africa. There is the Cape-tit, a bird in the 

 southern part of Africa, which builds a very 

 strange nest: it is shaped like a bottle of 

 India-rubber, as thick as a coarse worsted 

 stocking, and made of cotton, and down, and 

 other things felted together. On one side of 

 the nest there is something like a pocket, and 

 here is a picture of it." 



Nest of the Cape-tit, from Sonnerat. 



" Uncle Philip, what is that pocket for?" 

 " Why, boys, some have supposed that it 



