186 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
The CAPE TITMOUSE 
Inhabits the fouthern parts of Africa, and builds 
a neft in the form of a bottle, with a fhort neck. 
It is compofed chiefly of a cotton-like fub- 
Hance, and concealed amongft the thickeft (hrubst 
on the outfide of the neft, there is an additional 
ftrutfture for the lodgement of the malo„ whilft 
the female fits, or broods her young. It is laid 
too, that when the fen ale leaves the neft, the 
male ftrikes againft the outfide, and caufes the 
edges of the entrance to clofe together; by this 
means, defending their young from fuch infedlsas 
might injure them, when unpretedled by the pre¬ 
fence of their parents. 
GENUS 79* HIRU'NDO, 
The bill is fhort, broad at the bafc, {mall at the point}, 
«nd a little bending, The gape of the bill very long, 
The noflrils are open, 
The tongue fhort, broad, and cloven. 
The tail in moll fpecies forked, and the wings long, 
The legs, the toeS placed three before, and one behind, 
31 very few fpecies excepted. 
This genus of birds lives on infe&s which they 
take on the wing. 
Their 
