122 STRANGE DWELLINGS. 



without scolding at it, screaming hoarsely, shooting close to its 

 body, and, if possible, indulging in a passing peck. 



All the pensile birds are remarkable for the eccentricity of 

 shape and design which marks their nests ; although they agree 

 in one point, namely, that they dangle at the end of twigs, and 

 dance about merrily at every breeze. Some of them are very 

 long, others are very short ; some have their entrance at the 

 side, others from below, and others again, from near the top. 

 Some are hung, hammock-like, from one twig to another ; others 

 are suspended to the extremity of the twig itself ; while others, 

 that are built in the palms, which have no true branches, and 

 no twigs at all, are fastened to the extremities of the leaves. 

 Some are made of various fibres, and others of the coarsest 

 grass-straws : some are so loose in their texture, that the eggs 

 can be plainly seen through them ; while others are so strong 

 and thick, that they almost look as if they were made by a 

 professional thatcher. 



A good example of the last-mentioned description of nest is 

 the Mahali Weaver Bird of South Africa {Pliopasser Mahali). 

 Although the architect is a small bird, measuring only six inches 

 in total length, the nest which it makes is of considerable size, 

 and is formed of substances so stout, that, when the edifice and 

 the builder are comparecj together, the strength of the bird seems 

 quite inadequate to the management of such materials. 



The general shape of the nest is not unlike that of a Florence 

 oil-flask, supposing the neck to be shortened and widened, the 

 body to be lengthened, and the whole flask to be enlarged to 

 treble its dimensions. Instead, however, of being smooth on the 

 exterior, like the flask, it is intentionally made as rough as pos- 

 sible. The ends of all the grass-stalks, which are of very great 

 thickness, project outwards, and point towards the mouth of 

 the nest, which hangs downwards ; so that they serve as eaves 

 whereby the rain is thrown off the nest. 



Perhaps the most singular-looking nest made by these birds 

 is that of a rather small, yellow-coloured species {F/oceus ocu- 



