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 i 
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, j 
that are built in the palms, which have no true branches, and \ 
no twigs at all, are fastened to the extremities of the leaves, j 
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 (Pliofiasser Mcthah). 
Although the architect is a small bird, measuring only six inches 
in total length, the nest which it makes is of considerable size, i! 
and is formed of substances so stout, that, when the edifice and 
the builder are compared 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 J 
is that of a rather small, yellow- coloured species ( Plocens ocu - 
