Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, NIC-PAR

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some thick hush. The eggs are four or five ; white,
speckled with rusty red at the larger end, and much
like those of the linnet, but larger. The principal food
of this bird is seed and grain. It is easily tamed if held
on one’s fingers in the dark and heated gently. Though
its native song is trilling, in confinement it will catch
the notes of other birds.
Brimstone grosbeak.—Olive brown ; throat and belly
pale yellow ; eyebrows yellow. Nearly six inches long.
Inhabits m flocks near the Cape of Good Hope, fre¬
quents the banks of rivers, and builds a pendulous nest,
with a long neck beneath, in trees and shrubs.
Bengal grosbeak.—Gray ; crown yellow; temples
whitish; belly whitish, spotted with brown. “ This bird
(says Sir William Jones) is exceedingly common in Hin-
dostan : he is astonishingly sensible, faithful and docile;
never voluntarily deserting the place where his young are
hatched, but not averse, like most other birds, to the
society of mankind, and easily taught to perch on the
hand of his master. In a state of nature he generally
builds his nest on the highest tree that he can find, es¬
pecially on the palmyra, or on the Indian fig tree, and
he prefers that which happens to overhang a well or a
rivulet j he makes it of grass, which he weaves like
cloth, and shapes like a large bottle, suspending it firm¬
ly on the branches ; but so as to rock with the wind,
and placing it with its entrance downward to secure it
from birds of prey. Its nest usually consists of two or
three chambers; and it is popularly believed that he
lights them with fire flies, which he is said to catch alive
at night, and confine with moist clay or with cow dung.
That such flies are often found in his nest, where pieces
of cow dung are also stuck, is indubitable; but as
their light could be of little use to him, it seems pro¬
bable that he only feeds on them. He may be taught
with ease to fetch a piece of paper, or any small thing
that his master points out to him. It is an attested fact,
that if a ring be dropt into a deep well, and a signal
given to him, he will fly down with amazing celerity,
catch the ring before it touches the water, and bring it
up to his master with apparent exultation ; and it is
confidently asserted, that if a house or any other place
be shown to him once or twice, he will carry a note
thither immediately on a proper signal being made. One
instance of his docility I can myself mention with con¬
fidence, having often been an eye witness of it. The
young Hindoo women at Benares, and in other places,
wear very thin plates of gold called ticas, slightly fixed,
by way <>f ornament, between their eyebrows; and
when they pass through the streets, it is not uncommon
for the youthful libertines who amuse themselves with
training these birds, to give them a signal which they
understand, and send them to pluck the pieces of gold
from the foreheads of their mistresses, which they bring
in triumph to tlvdr lovers.”
Brown-cheeked grosbeak.—Dirty greenish ; cinere¬
ous beneath : cheeks brown, surrounded with a yellow
fringe. Inhabits Mexico, and sings delightfully.
Philippine grosbeak.— Brown; yellowish-white be¬
neath; crown and breast pale yellow; chin brown. In¬
habits the Philippine islands A variety found in Abys¬
sinia, has the tail and quill feathers greenish brown, and
edged with yt-ilow. Constructs a nest like the benga-
lensis.
Abyssinian grosbeak.—Yellowish ; crown, temples,
Vol. XV. Part II.
779
throat, and breast, black ; shoulders blackish ; quill and Passeres.
tail feathers brown, and edged with yellow; irides red ;' —~
wing-coverts brown, edged with gray; legs reddish-
gray. Size of the hawfinch. Inhabits Abyssinia. This
bird forms a curious nest of a pyramidal shape, which is
suspended from the ends of branches like the nests of
some others of this tribe. The opening is on one side,
facing the east; the cavity is separated in the middle by
a partition of half its height; up this the bird ascends
perpendicularly, and then descending on the other side,
forms its nest in the further chamber. By this means
the brood is defended from snakes, squirrels, monkeys,
and other mischievous animals, besides being secured
from the rains, which in that country last Sometimes for
five or six months together. . 77s
Pensile grosbeak.—Green; head and throat yellow ; PfK-uWr-
ocular band green ; belly gray ; vent rufous red ; bill,
legs, tail, and quill feathers, black ; the last edged with
green. Size of a house sparrow. Inhabits Madagascar.
Constructs a hanging nest of straw and reeds, shaped
like a bag with an opening beneath, on one side of
which is the true nest. The bird does not choose a new
situation every year, but fastens a new nest to the end
of the last, so that five may sometimes be seen hanging
from one another. Builds in large societies, and pro¬
duces three at each incubation.
Sociable grosbeak.—Kufous brown; yellowish be- Sccia.
neath; frontlet black; tail short; bill black; region
of the ears yellowish ; legs brown. Inhabits the inte¬
rior parts of the Cape of Good Hope, where they were
first discovered by Mr Paterson. They build their nests
in a species of mimosa, which grows to an uncommon
size ; and which, from its ample head and strong wide
spreading branches, is well calculated to admit and sup¬
port their dwellings. The tallness and smoothness of
its trunk are also a perfect defence against the invasions
of the serpent and monkey tribes. In one tree described
by Mr Paterson, there could not be fewer than from
eight hundred to a thousand nests under one general
roof. Mr Paterson calls it a roof, because it resembles
that of a thatched house, and projects over the entrance
of the nest below in a very singular manner. “ The in¬
dustry of these birds (says this traveller) seems almost
equal to that of the bee. Throughout the day they
seem to be busily employed in carrying a fine species of
grass, which is the principal material they use for the
purpose of erecting this extraordinary work, as well
as for additions and repairs. Though my short stay in
the country was not sufficient to satisfy me by ocular proof
that they added to their nest as they annually increas¬
ed in numbers; still, from the many trees which 1 have
seen borne down by the weight, and others which I
have observed with their boughs completely covered
over, it would appear that this is really the case. When
the tree which is the support of this aerial city, is obliged
to give way to the increase of weight, it is obvious that
they are no longer protected, and are under the necessity
of building in other trees. One of these deserted nests
I had the curiosity to break down, to inform my-eil of
the internal structure of it, and found it equally ii,.. e-
nious with that of the external. There are many en¬
trances, each of which forms a regular street with nests
on both sides, at about two inches distance from each
.other. The grass with which they build is called the
Boshman's grass; and I believe the seed of it to be
+ 3 Z their