268 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



wood that can be obtained, robs the insect, and builds its own 

 nest with the spoils. The interior of the nest is lined with the 

 fine roots of plants and dry pine-leaves, which latter materials af- 

 ford a softer bed than their shape seems to indicate. 



As we are near the end of our list of pensile birds, we must 

 turn to Asia for a specimen as reiparkable as any which has yet 

 been mentioned. This js the nest (jf the Ba-ta Sparrow, some- 

 times called the Toddy Bird, a native of several parts of India, 

 and found in Ceylon. 



Baya Sparrow. 



As may be seen by the illustration, the nests are variable in 

 shape, and hang close to each other ; indeed, the birds are very 

 sociable in all their manners, and fly about in great numbers, 

 flocks of thousands flitting among the branches and displaying 

 their pretty plumage to the sun. They have no song, and can 

 only chirp in a monotonous manner ; but the want of song 

 finds its compensation in the brilliancy of the plumage, which 

 is mostly bright yellow, the wings, back, and tail being brown. 

 They are particularly fond of the acacias and date trees, and 



