NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Skilful construction of ilieir nests. 



and the liind part and the neck are ash-coloured. 

 The upper parts of the plumage are grey ; the 

 forehead is black ; the throat and front of the 

 neck are of a very pale ash-colour ; and the 

 rest of the under parts are yellowish. The quills 

 and tail are brown, edged with white ; and the 

 legs are reddish grey. 



These birds are natives of Poland, Italy, Sibe- 

 ria, and most of the intervening country ; where 

 they frequent the watery places for the sake of 

 aquatic insects, on which they feed. 



The exquisite art which these birds display 

 in the construction of their nests, forms the most 

 curious fact in their history. They employ the 

 light dow r n found on the buds of the willow, the 

 poplar> and the aspen ; on thistles, dandelions, 

 &c. With their bill they entwine this filament- 

 ous substance, and form a thick close web, al- 

 most like cloth : this they fortify externally with 

 fibres and small roots, which penetrate into the 

 texture, and in some measure compose the basis 

 of the nest. They line the inside with the same 

 down, but not woven, that their young may lie 

 soft : they shut it above to confine the warmth ; 

 and they suspend it w ith hemp, nettles, &,c. from 

 the cleft of a small pliant branch (over some 

 stream), that it may rock more gently assisted by 

 the spring of the branch. In this situation the 

 brood are well supplied with insects, which con- 

 stitute their chief food ; and are also thus pro- 

 jected from their enemies. The nest sometime^ 

 3 



