326 THE PHILOSOPHY 



fide of the neft with feathers, down, and cobwebs. The fides 

 and roof are compofed of mofs and wool interwoven in the 

 moft curious and artificial manner. 



In treating of inftindl, it was mentioned, that, in warm 

 climates, many fmall birds fufpended their nefts on tender 

 twigs of trees, to prevent them from being deftroyed by the 

 monkeys. In Europe, there are only three birds which build 

 penfile nefts, namely, the common oriola, the parus penduli- 

 nus, or hang-neft titmoufe ; and another penfile nefi:, belong- 

 ing to fome unkown bird, was lately difcovered by Mr. Pen- 

 nant, near the houfe of Blair in Athole,inthe north of Scot- 

 bnd. * In a fpruce fir-tree,' Mr. Pennant remarks, « was a 



* hang-nefl: of fome unknown bird, fufpended at the four 



* corners to the boughs. It was open at top, an inch and a 

 ^ half diameter, and two deep ; the fides and bottom thick ^ 



* the materials mofs, worfi:ed, and birch bark, lined with 



< feathers*/ 



Mr. Pennant, in his Indian Zoology, gives the following 

 curious account of the manner in which the motaciila futoria, 

 or taylor bird, builds its neft. « Had providence,' Mr. Pen- 

 nant remarks, < left the feathered tribes unendowed with 



* any particular inftin^l, the birds of the torrid zone woukl 

 « have built their nefts in the fame unguarded manner as 



* thofe of Europe j but there the lefl^er fpecies, having a cer- 



< tain prefclence of the dangers that furround tiiem, and of 

 « their own weaknefs, fufpend their nefts at rhe extreme 



< branches of the trees : They are confcious of inhabiting a 



* climate replete with enemies to them and their young j 



* with fnakes that twine up the bodies of the treesj and apes^ 

 « that are perpetually in fearch of prey ; but, heaven-in- 

 ' ftrudled, they elude the gliding of the one, and the acSlivity 

 « of the other. The brute creation are more at enmity with 



* one another than in other climates j and the birds are 



* Pennant's Tour, vol. i. page 104. 3d editioa. 



