Marvels of the Universe 



43 



salivating habit is carried to its logical con- 

 clusion, for one species makes the nest entirely 

 of dried sahva : and it is this nest that en oys 

 the unique distinction of being the " edible 

 bird's-nest " so well known as a Chinese delicacy. 

 It fetches a very high price, and the coast 

 caves in the East Indies where these birds breed 

 are regularly farmed out in consequence ; but, as 

 might be expected, there is very little flavour 

 in the isinglass-like product of the little swifts. 



The name " edible swallow " iormerly gi\en 

 to this swift, reminds one of the true swallows, 

 so well known as mud-builders even in our 

 own country ; but mud-masonry is practised 

 in many countries by other birds than the 

 swallow, such as the Oven-bird, a soberly- 

 coloured, light brown bird of South .\merica. 

 The bulky nest of the oven-bird is placed 

 on some solid support, such as a branch or 

 post, without anv attempt at concealment ; 

 as a matter of fact, the nest is a difficult one 

 for a robber to negotiate, as the entrance 

 at the side of the domed clay structure, which 

 gets burned nearly into brick by the sun, 

 does not communicate direct with the interior, 

 but with a porch partly shut off by a firm 

 clay partition from the inner room where the 

 eggs are laid. 



In the Zoological Gardens, too, has more 

 than once been built a nest which is incubator 

 as well, that of the AustraUan Brash-turkey. 

 This bird, which belongs to a family distinct 

 from the true turkey, scratches up a mound 

 of any sort of vegetable rubbish it comes 

 across, seizing the material in footfuls and 

 throwing it back until a heap of several yards 

 in circrmiference and several feet high has 

 been formed. All this work is done by the 

 male, and when the hen or hens come to the 

 mound to scratch holes in it and deposit their 

 eggs therein, he fills in the holes as soon as they 

 have finished la\ing. Thereafter, he attends to 

 the mound, in which the eggs are being hatched 

 by the heat engendered by the decaying vege- 

 tation, often raking it over, apparently to keep 

 the surface loose against the emergence of the 

 chicks, which after six weeks' hotbed-incuba- 

 tion emerge from the shell full-fledged, and 

 begin a perfectly independent existence. 



THE 



The nest of tKi; 

 bound togetKer w 

 of a leaf. 



l/ly II. Gr'onvold. 

 LITTLE HERMIT'S NEST. 



Humming-bird is made of silky plant-fibres. 

 ih spider's web and attached lo the end 



[A'y //. Urnnrold. 



LANCEOLATE HONEY-EATER. 



bird constructs a deep basket of grass and wool, 

 and hangs it from a slender twig. 



NEST OF THE 

 Th 



