Female.
P lace and
Manners,
jo.
V ar. A.
Description.
Place.
the eyes, and the chin, of the fame colour: the top of the head is
yellow: the hind part of the neck and back, and fcapulars, the
fame ; the middle of the feathers brown : lower part of the back
br6wn, with whitilh margins: fore part of the neck and breaft
yellow 5 from thence to the vent yellowifh white : wing coverts
brown, edged with white : the quills brown, with pale rufous or
whitilh edges: tail as the quills : legs yelLowilh.
The female has the upper parts brown, margined with rufous:
rump of this laft colour : under parts pale rufous : quills and tail
margined with pale rufous: legs yellowilh.
Thefe inhabit the Philippine IJlands, and are noted for making
a moll curious nelt, in form of a long cylinder, fwelling out into
a globofe form in the middle. This is compofed of the line
fibres of leaves, &c. and fattened by the upper part to the extreme
branch of a tree. The entrance is from beneath; and, after
afcending the cylinder as far as the globular cavity, the true neft
is placed on one fide of it ; where this little architect lays her
eggs, and hatches her brood in perfedl fecurity.
Le Baglafeclit, Buf oif. iii. p. 465.
T H I S does not differ conliderably from the laft. The irides
yellow: the black on the lides of the head rifes above the
eyes: the mixture of brown and black on the back is lefs diftinft;
and the greater wing coverts, quills, and tail, greenilh brown,
edged with yellow: the wings reach to the middle of the tail.
Inhabits AbyJJinia.
This may be conlidered as a mere variety, not only on account
of the plumage, but manners, as it makes a very curious neft like
the
the other, but a little different in Ihape; and is faid to have
fomewhat of a fpiral Ihape, not unlike that of a Nautilus. It fuf-
pends it, like the other, on the extreme twig of fome tree, chiefly
one that hangs over fome ftill-water; and always turns the opening
towards that quarter from whence leaft rain may be expefted.
Gros-bec d’Abyffinie, Buf% oif. iii. p. 470.
C I Z E of the Hawfinch. Bill about the fame fize, and black :
irides red: top and lides of the head, throat, and breaft,
black : the upper parts of the body, belly, and thighs, pale yellow,
inclining to brown where the two colours divide : the fcapulars
blackifh: wing coverts brown, bordered with grey: quills
and tail brown, edged with yellow : legs reddilh grey.
This bird alfo makes a curious neft, and is found in AbyJJinia.
It is of a pyramidal fhape, and is fufpended from the ends of
branches, like the others. The opening is on one fide, facing the
eaft; the cavity feparated in the middle by a partition, up
which the bird rifes perpendicularly about half-way, when de-
fcending, the neft is within the cavity on one fide. By this means
the brood is defended from fnakes, fquirrels, monkies, and other
mifchievous animals, befides being fecure from rain, which in
that country fometimes lafts for fix months together.
Inhabits AbyJJinia.
Le Nelicourvi tic Madagafcar, Son. Voy. hid. vol. ii. p. 200. pi. HZ.
I Z E of the Houfe Sparrow. Bill black : irides yellow : the
head, throat, and fore part of the neck, of the laft colour :
S 2 from
31*
ABYSSINIAN
GR.
Description.
Place*
PENSILE GR.
Description.