L O X I A. 



yellowidi-wliite ; crown and bread pale yellow ; chin 

 brown. The female has the upper parts brown, margined 

 with rufous ; rump of this lad colour ; legs yellowifh. 

 Thefe inhabit the Pliilippine idands, and are noted for making 

 a moil curious nell, in form of a long cylinder, fwelling 

 out into a globofe form in the middle. This is compofed of 

 the tine fibres of leaves, and fallened by the upper part to 

 the extreme branch of a tree. The entrance is from be- 

 neath ; and after afcending the cyhndei*^s far as the globu- 

 lar cavity, the true nellis placed on one fide of it, where, 

 fays Latham, this little architeft lays her eggs, and hatches 

 her brood in perfcft fecurity. There are three divifions in 

 the nell; of this bird ; the iiril is occupied by the male, the 

 fecond by the female, and the third contains the young ; in 

 the firft apartment, where the male keeps watch, while the 

 female is hatching, a little tough clay is placed on one fide, 

 and on the top of this clay a glow-worm, which is faid to 

 afford it Inhabitants light in the night-time. 



There is a variety of this fpecies. Tail and quill-feathers 

 greenifh-brOwn, edged with yellow. Inhabits Abyffinia. 

 This makes a nell fomewhat like the former, of a fpiral 

 fliape, not unlike that of a nautilus. It fufpcnds it, like 

 the other, on the extreme twig of fome tree, chiefly one 

 that hangs over fome Hill water ; and always turns the open- 

 ing towards that quarter from whence leail rain may be ex- 

 pected. 



Abyssintca ; Afeyffinian grofbeak. Yellowidi ; crown, 

 temples, tliroat, and breaft bla^k ; (boulders blacklfh ; quill 

 and tail-feathers brown, edged with yellow. It inhabits 

 Abyffinia ; fize of the hawfinch ; makes a pyramidal pendent 

 nell, the opening of which is on one fide, facing the eafl ; 

 it is divided in the middle by a partition, and the nell is 

 within this cavity en one fide ; by this means it is fecure 

 from the intrufion of fnakes, fquirrels, monkies, and other 

 mifchievous animals, and defended from the wellerly rains, 

 which lafl; for feveral months almoi unceafingly.' 



Pensills ; Penfile grofbeak. Green ; head and throat yel- 

 low ; ocular band green ; belly grey ; vent rufous-red ; bill, 

 legs, tail and quill-fe.ithers black, the lall edged with green. 

 This fpecies inhabits Madagafcar; is the fize of a houfc-fpar- 

 row ; conllrufts its penfile r.eft of ftraw and reeds, Ihaped 

 like a bag, with an opening beneath, on one fide of which 

 is the true nell. The bird does not choofe a new fituation 

 every year, but fallens a new neil to the end of the lall ; 

 fometimes as far as five, one hanging from another ; builds 

 in large focieties, and brings three young ones at each 

 hatch. 



A bird fimilar to this is mentioned in Kxmpfer's Hillory 

 of Japan, which makes the nell near Siam, on a tree, with 

 narrow leaves and fpreading branches, the fize of an apple- 

 tree ; the nefl in the ffiape ot a purfe, with a long neck, 

 made of dry grafs and other materials, and fufpended at the 

 end of the branches ; the opening always to the north-well. 

 The hiftorian fays he counted fitty on one tree only ; and 

 defcribes the bird itfeli as being like a canary-bird in colour, 

 but as chirping like a Iparrow. 



SociA ; Soci;ible grolbeak. Rufous brown, beneath 

 ' ellowilh ; frontlet black ; tail fhort. This fpecies inhabits 

 the interior parts of the Cape of Good Hope : they live to- 

 gether in va!t tribes under one common roof, containing fe- 

 veral nells, wliich are built on a large fpecies of mimofa ; 

 ibis, from its fize, its ample head, and llrong wide Iprcad- 

 iiig branches, is well calculated to admit and fupport their 

 dwellings. Tlie tallnels and fmoothnefs of its trunk 

 are alio a perfedl defence againft the invafions of the 

 ferpent and the monkey tribes ; in one tree defcribed 

 by a very intelligent traveller, Mr. Paterfon, there were 

 Vol. XXI. 



fcvcral hundi-ed nefts under one general roof. It is defcribed 

 as a roof, becaufe it rcfemblcs that of a thatcned houfc,and 

 projcfts over the entrance of the n^ft below in a firgubr 

 manner. " The induftry of thefe birds," fays this author, 

 " feems almoll equal to that of the bee. Throughout the d-^y 

 they feem to be biifily employed in carrying a fine fpecies 

 of grafs, which is the principal material they ufe for the 

 purpofe of erctting this extraordinary work, as well as for 

 additions and repairs. Though my fliort (lay in the country 

 was not fufficieiit to fatisfy me by ocular proof that they 

 added to their nell as they annually increafed m number-; ; 

 Hill, from the many trees which I have feen borne, down by 

 the weight, and others which I have obferved with their 

 boughs completely covered over, it would appear that this 

 is really the caie. When tl:e tree, which is the fupport of 

 this ai^rial city, is obliged to give way to the increafe of 

 weight, it is obvious that they are no longer protedled, and 

 are under the necefiity of building in other trees. One of 

 thcle dcferted nplls I had the curiofity to break down, to 

 inform myfelf of the internal ftruclure of it ; and found it 

 equally ingenious with that of the external. There are 

 many entrances, each of which forms a regular ilreet, 

 with nefts on both fides, at about two inches diilance from 

 each other. The grafs with which thoy build is called the 

 Bolhman's grafs, and I believe tlie feed of it to be their prin- 

 cipal food ; though, on examining their nefts, I found the 

 wings analogs of different infefts. From every appearance 

 the neft which I diffeded had been inhabited for many years, 

 and fome parts of it were much more complete than others. 

 This, therefore, I conceive to amount nearly to a proof that 

 the animals added to it at different times, as they found ne- 

 cefi^ary from the increafe of the family, or rather of the 

 nation or community." 



Striata ; Striated grolbeak. Brown, ftreaked with fer- 

 ruginous, beneath white ; throat black. About the fize of 

 a wren. It inhabits Bourbon. 



Zeylonica ; Ceylon grofbeak. Ferruginous brown, be- 

 neath purple, waved with black ; front and rump blueifh. 

 Inhabits Ceylon. 



Ludoviciaka ; Louifiana grofbeak. Black ; breafl, 

 belly, band on the wings, and bafe of the quill -feathers white. 

 Inhabits North x-^merica, and is about fix inches long. There 

 is another variety with a rofy breafl. 



Maculata ; Spotted grofbeak. Feathers of the upper 

 part of the body black, fpotted with white towards the 

 tip, of the lower part whitilh, llreakcd with black ; quill 

 and tail-feathers whitifh on the outfide. It inhabit* 

 America. ' 



Obscura ; Dufl<y grofbeak. Middle of the throat, and 

 double band on the wing-coverts white ; quill-feathers green, 

 flanks white, fpotted with brown ; feathers of the head, 

 neck, and back edged with brown. Inhabits in the neigh- 

 bourhood of New York. 



Hudsonica; Hudfon's Bay grofbeak. Brown; belly- 

 white, fides fpotted with brown ; wing-coverts with two red 

 bands. It inhabits Hudfon's Bay, from whence it derives 

 its name. It has ftrong bill and legs ; feathers of the back 

 and rump, fecondary quills and tail-feathers edged with palf 

 rufous ; tail a little forked. 



Capensis ; Cape grofbeak. Blackifli-brown ; rump ar.d 

 wing-coverts pale yellow. There is a variety with feathers 

 above brownifh, in the middle fpotted vnth black, beneatk 

 whitifh, fpotted with black. The bill and legs black j 

 feathers of the head fliort, and in breeding time filky ; 

 wings chefnut, edged with grey ; greater quill-feathert 

 edged with yellow, back fometimes pale yellow. Inhabits 

 ^ Z Coraniacd?! 



