AFRICA. — 395 
for, as It has a projeding rim, and is a littk 
inclined, it ferves to let the water run oft', and 
preferves each dwelling from the rpan. Figure 
to yonrrclf a huge irregular mafs, the lummk 
forming a kind of roof, and all the other parts 
of the furface completely covered with celfe 
fqueezed one againft another, and you will 
have a tolerably accurate idea of thefe fmguiar 
edifices. 
Each cell is three or four inches in diameter, 
which is fufFicient for the bird. But as they 
are all in contact Xvith one another through 
the greater part of the furface of the mafs, 
they appear to the eye to form but one build- 
ing, and are diftinguifliable from each other 
only by a little external aperture, which ferves 
as an entrance to the neft ; and even this is 
fometimes common to three different nefts, 
.one of which is fituated at the bottom, and 
, the other two at the fides. 
Paterfon in his travels mentions this fubjefl: 
of natural hiftory ; but his attention being too 
much employed by ethers which were mere 
parncularly interefting to him, he v\^as unable 
to examine it with fufiicient care. Accord- 
ing to him, the number of cells increafing in 
proportion to the increafe of inhabitants, the 
.q14 
