Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

history of the battles of the gods or giants particular mention is made of the closing scene, how the conquerors went and trampled on their enemies. When people are disputing, should one be a little pressed, and the other begin to triumph, the former will say, 'I will tread upon thy neck, and after that beat thee.' A low caste man insulting one who is high, is sure to hear some one say to the offended individual, 'Put your feet on his neck.""

To harden the neck, (Prov. 29, 1,) appears to be a metaphor drawn from the practice of a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke.

power

NECROMANCER, O'D8 W dorish el hammithim, (Deut. 18. 11,) one who interrogates the dead. Such persons presumed that the dead had the of revealing secrets, and of foretelling the future, and they therefore sought such information from them. This they did in various ways; as calling up the dead by diabolical arts; resorting to places where the shades of the departed were supposed to frequent; or sleeping in cemeteries after certain ceremonies to obtain the response through such dreams as might then occur. The injunction of the Mosaic law is very express against these practices, and the punishment to be inflicted on the guilty parties was stoning to death. (Levit. 20. 27.) See DIVINATION; INCHANTMENTS; MAGIC.

NEEDLE, papis. (Matt. 19. 24.) The proverbial expression used by Our Lord, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle," we have already

considered under the word CAMEL.

The use of the needle as a female accomplishment may be traced up to the earliest times. It was an art in which the ladies of Egypt particularly excelled, and the Hebrew females also no doubt acquired it during their residence in that country, as we read of the embroidery for the curtains of the tabernacle; and in the song of Deborah and Barak, (Judges 5. 30,) mention is made of "a prey of divers colours of needle-work, of divers colours of needle-work on both sides." See EMBROIDERY.

In the Egyptian room of the British Museum may be seen some needles for sewing made of bronze, three inches to three inches and a quarter in length, probably used by some female hand three thousand years ago. There are likewise some knitting-needles made of wood,

nine inches to nine inches and a half in length; and also some skeins of thread, a portion of which is dyed of a reddish colour.

NEEDLEWORK. See EMBROIDERY.

NEESE, zorir. (2Kings 4. 35.) In the narrative of the raising of the Shunamite's son by the prophet Elisha, it is said, "The boy sneezed seven times."

The same word is, in the original, used by Job, who, speaking of Leviathan, says, "By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning." Professor Paxton remarks upon this, "It seems to be generally admitted that the crocodile turns his face to the sun when he goes to sleep on the banks of the river; and in this position becomes so heated, that the breath driven forcibly through his nostrils, issues with so much impetuosity, that it resembles a stream of light. The language of the inspired writer is highly figurative and hyperbolical, painting in vivid colours the heat and force with which the breath of the crocodile rushes from his expanded nostrils." See Leviathan.

NEGINOTH, л This word occurs in the superscriptions of Psalms 4, 6, 54, 67, 76, and has occasioned much discussion. The Septuagint and Vulgate render it by "song," uvos aλuos; Vulgate, carmen,

canticum. It appears, however, to denote stringed instruments of music to be played upon by the fingers; and Calmet proposes to translate the titles of those Psalms where this word is to be found, thus: "A Psalm of David, to the master of music who presides over the stringed instruments."

Where the word occurs as a noun other than in the titles of the Psalms, the context determines that it applies to songs, as in Job 30. 9; Lament. 3. 14.

NEHEMIAH, on Sept. Neeμias, the son of Hachaliah, was born at Babylon during the captivity, but his family and tribe are not known. Raised to the distinguished office of cupbearer to Artaxerxes Longimanus, whose favour he enjoyed, Nehemiah forgot not his desolated country. It appears he presented wine to his royal master in the presence of the queen, and consequently in the harem, which proves that he was in high favour with the king; it is also evident that he was a person of rank and authority at the court, for he travelled with a great retinue, maintained a large body of servants, and kept open table at Jerusalem without receiving the usual compensation from the Jews as governor of the province. Having obtained a royal commission, he went to Jerusalem for a limited time to repair its walls and gates, and to correct many abuses which had crept into the administration of public affairs. He subsequently returned to Babylon; whence, by perJerusalem, where he died, B.C. 420, having governed mission of Artaxerxes, he proceeded a second time to the Jews for about thirty years.

In Nehemiah we have the character of an able governor, truly zealous for the good of his country, and for the honour of his religion; who quitted a noble and gainful post at a great court, generously spent the riches he had there acquired for the benefit of his countrymen, and encountered difficulties with a courage and spirit which alone could, with the Divine blessing, procure the safety, and reform the manners of such an unhappy and thoughtless nation.

first

NEHEMIAH, BOOK OF. This book is in some versions termed the Second Book of Esdra, or Esdras, from an opinion which anciently obtained, and was adopted by Athanasius, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, and other fathers of the Church, that Ezra was its author. In modern Hebrew Bibles it has the name of Nehemiah prefixed to it, which is also retained in our English Bibles. There is no historical book in the Old Testament of which the authorship is so distinctly announced. It begins with "The words of Nehemiah," and throughout we have Nehemiah speaking in the person. The style is also different from that of the preceding book, being considerably more plain and easy. It is chiefly occupied with an account of its author's first administration of twelve years; after which he returned to the Persian court. But his subsequent arrival at Jerusalem with a new commission, and further reforms executed by him, are noticed at the end; so that the book altogether may be considered to contain the history of twenty-four years, that is, to B.C. 420. The insertion of the names of Jaddua and Darius the Persian, in the register in ch. 12. 1-26, which is supposed to contradict the received opinion, may be accounted for by supposing the whole register to have been added either by some subsequent author, or perhaps by the authority of the Great Synagogue; for it seems to be unconnected with the narrative of Nehemiah, and, if genuine, must ascribe to him a longevity which appears scarcely credible.

NEHILOTH- -NEHUSHTAN.

NEHILOTH, ibn This word occurs in the superscription of the fifth Psalm, and is supposed to be the name of a wind instrument, probably, as Calmet asserts, of the flute kind, being derived from hhalil, "to bore through," whence hhalil,," a pipe." The Septuagint and Vulgate derive it from 7 nachal, "to inherit," and render, with some variation, "For that which (or she who) obtained (or obtains) the inheritance." The Arabic has simply "Concerning the inheritance." The Targum, however, renders the title both of this and the preceding Psalm, "To sing upon the dances, a song of David;" while Aben Ezra understands this word, as he does Neginoth, to denote some old and wellknown melody to which this Psalm was to be played. Jarchi refers it to an army or multitude; but the general opinion is, that it refers to some kind of wind instrument, but whether flutes or bagpipes, cannot now be determined. See MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

NEHUSHTAN, лn (2Kings 18. 4,) a name given by Hezekiah to the brazen serpent that Moses had set up in the wilderness, (Numb. 21. 8,) and which had been preserved by the Israelites to that time. The superstitious people having made an idol of this serpent, Hezekiah caused it to be burnt. In this case, they, no doubt with a recollection of its Divine origin, regarded it as symbolizing the Divine healing power, and as such resorted to it and burned incense before it when afflicted with certain diseases.

Serpent worship, under various forms, was one of the most prevalent idolatries of the ancient world, and in Egypt we find that it prevailed to a considerable extent. Plutarch states, that "the asp is worshipped on account of a certain resemblance between it and the operations of the Divine power; and being in no fear of old age, and moving with great facility, though it does not seem to enjoy the proper organs for motion, it is looked upon as a proper symbol of the stars."

Sir John Gardner Wilkinson tells us, "It was one of those creatures which were sacred throughout the country; though it enjoyed greater honours in places where the deities of whom it was the type presided, and if we may believe Pausanias, particularly at 'Omphis in Egypt.' Phylarchus relates that great honours were paid to the asp by the Egyptians; and from the care they took of it, that it was rendered so tame as to live with their children without doing them any harm. It came from its place of retreat, when called by the snapping of the fingers; and after dinner some paste mixed with honey and wine being placed upon the table, it was called to take its repast. The same signal was used, when any one walked in the dark at night to warn the reptile of his approach.

"This serpent was called Thermuthis, and with it the statues of Isis were crowned as with a diadem. Asp-formed crowns' are frequently represented on the heads of goddesses and queens, in the Egyptian sculptures. The statues of the mother and wife of Amunoph, (the vocal Memnon,) in the plain of Thebes, have a crown of this kind; and the Rosetta stone mentions 'asp-formed crowns,' though this last might refer to the front of the cap usually worn by the king. Instances sometimes occur of a fillet of asps bound round the royal crown, and I have once seen the same encircling the head-dress of Osiris.

“Ælian relates many strange stories of the asp and the respect paid to it by the Egyptians; but we may suppose that in his sixteen species of asps, other snakes were included. He also speaks of a dragon which was sacred in the Egyptian Melite (Metelis?); and another

927

kind of snake called parias, or paruas, dedicated to Esculapius. The serpent of Melite had priests and ministers, a table and a bowl. It was kept in a tower, and fed by the priests with cakes made of flour and honey, which they placed there in the bowl. Having done this they retired. The next day on returning to the apartment, the food was found to be eaten; and the same quantity was again put into the bowl; for it was not lawful for any one to see the sacred reptile. According to Juvenal, the priests of Isis in his time contrived that the silver idols of snakes, kept in her temple, should move their heads to a supplicating votary; and extravagant notions connected with serpents are not wanting in the paintings of the tombs of the kings at Thebes, and are traced in the religions of all nations of antiquity. The Egyptian asp is a species of cobra de capello, and is still very common in Egypt, where it is called nashir, a word signifying 'spreading,' from its dilating its breast when angry. It is the same which the hawee, or snake-players, the Psylli of modern days, use in their juggling tricks.

"It is doubtful if the snake with its tail in its mouth was really adopted by the Egyptians as the emblem of eternity. It occurs on papyri encircling the figure of Harpocrates; but there is no evidence of its having that meaning, and I do not remember to have seen it on any monuments of an early Egyptian epoch.

"The snake in former times, played a conspicuous part in the mysteries of religion; many of the subjects on the tombs of the kings at Thebes in particular, show the importance it was thought to enjoy in a future state; and Ælian seems to speak of a 'subterranean chapel and closet at each corner of the Egyptian temples, in which the thermuthis asp was kept,' as if it were the universal custom throughout the country to keep a sacred serpent. That the asp was universally honoured appears to be highly probable; but other serpents did not enjoy the same distinction, and one was looked upon by the Egyptians as a type of the evil being, under the name of Aphophis, 'the giant.' It was represented to have been killed by Horus; and in this fable may be traced that of Apollo and Pytho, as well as the war of the giants against the gods in Greek mythology. By the serpent the Jews also typified the enemy of mankind; and such is the aversion entertained for snakes by the Moslems, that they hold in abhorrence everything which bears a resemblance to them; and a superstitious fancy induces them to break in two every hair that accidentally falls from their beards, lest it should turn to one of these hateful reptiles. Some venerated it with unbounded honours; it was an emblem of the world, which Eusebius says was sometimes described by a circle intersected by a serpent passing horizontally through it; some gods were accompanied by it as a type of wisdom; and several religions considered it emblematic both of a good and bad deity. The Hindoo serpent Caliya, slain by Vishnoo, in his incarnation of Crishna, (which corresponded to the Python and Aphophis of the Greek and Egyptian mythologies) was the enemy of the gods, though still looked upon with a religious feeling; the Mexicans and Scandinavians considered the snake the type of an evil deity; and the tempter of mankind was represented under the same form. Gods and heroes obtained credit for ridding the world of these hateful creatures; and humble individuals were sometimes made to partake of this honour. Ælian speaks of snakes expelled by Helen from the isle of Pharos, on planting a herb, called after her IIelenium, which she had received from Polydamna, the wife of Thonis; and a similar kind office is attributed to some Christian saints. A remnant of superstitious feeling in

favour of the serpent still exists in Egypt, in the respect | St. Peter and St. Paul are thought to have suffered paid to the snake of Shekh Hereedee; which is supposed martyrdom, consequent on this persecution, A.D. 65. to perform cures for the credulous and devout, when See PERSECUTION. propitiated through the pockets of its keepers." See SERPENT WORSHIP.

NEIGHBOUR, y ria. (Deut. 5. 20.) This word yria. generally signifies a person near, and one connected with us by the bonds of humanity, and whom charity requires that we should consider as a friend and relation. At the time of Our Saviour, the Pharisees had restrained the meaning of the word neighbour to those of their own nation, or to their own friends, holding that to hate their enemy was not forbidden by the law. (Matt. 5. 43.) But Our Saviour informed them that the whole world were neighbours; that they ought not to do to another what they would not have done to themselves; and that this charity extended even to enemies. The beautiful parable of the Good Samaritan is set forth to illustrate this principle. (Luke 10. 29-37.)

NEREUS, Nnpeus, the name of a Christian at Rome mentioned by St. Paul. (Rom. 16. 15.) Nothing is certainly known respecting him.

NERGAL, (2Kings 17. 30,) an idol of the 523 Cutheans, whence the proper name w hana Nergal Sharezer. (Jerem. 39, 3,13.) The Rabbins consider it as a transposition of Sign tarnigol, a cock, and pretend that this idol had the form of a cock. The nearest approximation to it is the Aramaic Nereg, the planet Mars, but nothing certain is known respecting

this idol.

NERO. The emperor Nero is not named in Scripture; but he is indicated by his title of emperor, and by his surname Cæsar, and in his reign commenced that war between the Jews and the Romans in which the former were almost exterminated. To him St. Paul appealed after his imprisonment by Felix, and his examination by Festus, who was swayed by the Jews. St. Paul was therefore carried to Rome, where he arrived A.D. 61. Here he continued two years, preaching the Gospel with boldness, till he became celebrated even in the emperor's court, in which were many Christians; for he salutes the Philippians in the name of the brethren who were of the household of Cæsar, that is, of the court of Nero. (Phil. 1. 12,13; 4. 22.) We have no particular information how he cleared himself from the accusations of the Jews, whether by answering before Nero, or that his enemies abandoned their prosecution, which latter seems more probable. (Acts 28. 21.) It appears, however, that he was liberated in the year 63.

Nero, the successor of Claudius, and the fifth emperor of Rome, the most wicked and depraved of men, began his persecution of the Christian Church A.D. 64, on pretence of the burning of Rome, of which some have thought himself to be the author. He endeavoured to throw all the odium of it on the Christians: those were seized first that were known publicly as such, and by their means many others were discovered. They were condemned to death and were exposed to every variety of torture. Some were sewed up in the skins of beasts, and then exposed to dogs to be torn in pieces; dogs to be torn in pieces; some were nailed to crosses; others perished by fire. The latter were sewed up in pitched coverings, which being set on fire, served as torches to the people, and were lighted up in the night. Nero gave permission to use his own gardens, as the scene of all these cruelties. From this time edicts were published against the Chris

The revolt of the Jews from the Romans occurred about A.D. 65 and 66, in the twelfth and thirteenth years of the reign of Nero. The city of Jerusalem

making an insurrection A.D. 66, in consequence of the arbitrary measures of Florus, he there slew three thousand six hundred persons, and thus began the war. A little while afterwards those of Jerusalem killed the Roman garrison. Cestius on this came to Jerusalem to suppress the sedition; but he was forced to retire after having besieged it about six weeks, and was routed in his retreat. About the end of A.D. 66, Nero gave Vespasian the command of his troops against the Jews. This general carried on the war in Galilee and Judæa during A.D. 67 and 68, the thirteenth and fourteenth of Nero, but that cruel man killing himself in the fourteenth year of his reign, Jerusalem was not besieged till after his death, A.D. 70, the first of Vespasian.

NEST, IP kin, (Numb. 24. 21; Deut. 22. 6,) a bird's nest.

.and

In the Mosaic code it is enjoined upon the Hebrews, that "If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, whether they be young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young, but thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, take the young to thee, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days." (Deut.22.6,7) The deserts which the Israelites now trod, and much of the mountainous country of Judæa, abounded with quails and plovers, and other birds of a similar kind, whose eggs and whose young ones were then, as now, sought after as food, and esteemed peculiar delicacies. They were necessary to the subsistence of the inhabitants of the desert, in which other supplies would sometimes fail. The object of this law was to prevent any unnecessary cruelty from mingling with the proceeding. Let not another affliction be added to that of her bereavement. Do not deprive her of her liberty and her life. She will soon forget the loss you are causing, and employ herself in the rearing another brood; therefore, "Thou shalt not take the dam with her young." "Were there," says Dr. Primatt, no other text throughout the Bible from which to prove the duty of mercy to brute animals but this only, this one is enough to rest it upon. The goodness and condescension of the great Creator, in this seemingly trifling instance of a bird's nest, are so remarkably displayed, and our attention to the law, and our compassion to the distressed bird, are enforced with the promise of a blessing of so extraordi nary a kind for so small a service, that to reflect on it at all, one would think sufficient to soften the hardest heart."

66

eggs,

or

.the

in other

Michaëlis says, "It is the command of Moses, that if a person find a bird's nest in the way, whether on a tree or on the ground, though he take the may young, he shall not take the mother, but always allow her to escape. It is clear that he here speaks, not of those birds which nestle upon people's property; words, that he does not, for instance, prohibit an Israelite from totally destroying a sparrow's, or a swallow's nest, that might happen to be troublesome to him, or to extir pate to the utmost of his power the birds that infested his field or vineyard. He merely enjoins what one was to do on finding such nests on the way, that is, without one's property: thus guarding against either the utter bird

tians and many martyrs suffered, especially in Italy. extinction, or too great diminution of any species of lind

NEST.

indigenous to the country. And this, in some countries, is still, with respect to partridges, an established rule; which, without a special law, is observed by every real sportsman, and the breach of which subjects him to the reproaches of his brethren. Nor would any further illustration be necessary, if Moses spoke only of edible birds, and as if merely concerned for their preservation. But this is not the case. His expression is so general, that we must needs understand it of all birds whatever, even those that are most destructive, besides what are properly birds of prey. And here many readers may think it strange that Moses should be represented as providing for the preservation of noxious birds; yet, in fact, nothing can be more conformable to legislative wisdom, especially on the introduction of colonies into a new country. To extirpate, or even to persecute to too great an extent, any species of birds in such a country, from an idea, often too hastily entertained, of its being hostile to the interests of the inhabitants, is a measure of very doubtful policy. It ought, in general, to be considered as a part of Nature's bounty, bestowed for some important purpose; but what that is, we certainly discover too late, when it has been extirpated, and the evil consequences of that measure are begun to be felt. In this matter, the legislator should take a lesson from the naturalist. Linnæus, whom all will allow to be a perfect master in the science of natural history, has made the above remark in his dissertation entitled Historia Naturalis cui Bono? and gives two remarkable examples to confirm it: the one in the case of the little crow of Virginia, (Gracula quiscula,) extirpated at a great expense, on account of its supposed destructive effects, and which the inhabitants would soon gladly have re-introduced at double the expense; the other in that of the Egyptian vulture, or racham (Vultur percnopterus). In the city of Cairo, every place is so full of dead carcasses, that the stench of them would not fail to produce putrid diseases; and where the caravans travel, dead asses and camels are always lying. The racham, which molests no living thing, consumes these carcasses, and clears the country of them, and it even follows the track of the caravan to Mecca, for the same purpose; and so grateful are the people for the service it thus does the country, that devout and opulent Mohammedans are wont to establish foundations for its support, by providing for the expense of a certain number of beasts to be daily killed, and given every morning and evening to the immense flocks of rachams that resort to the place where criminals are executed, and rid the city, as it would seem, of their carcasses in like manner. These eleemosynary institutions, and the sacred regard shown to these birds by the Mohammedans, are likewise testified by Dr. Shaw, in his Travels. These examples serve pretty strongly to show, that in respect at least to birds, we ought to place so much confidence in the wisdom and kindness of nature, as not rashly to extirpate any species which she has established in a country, as a great and perhaps indispensable blessing. Limit its numbers we certainly may, if they incommode us; but still so as that the race shall not become extinct. Of quadrupeds and insects I say nothing, because with regard to them we have not such experience to guide us. No inconvenience has arisen in England, nor even in that populous part of Germany between the Weser and the Oder, from the loss of the wolves; although I cannot understand, but must leave it to naturalists to find out, how it should happen, that in any country, beasts of prey can be extirpated with less inconvenience than birds; wild cats, for instance, and to bring that parallel closer, than owls, both of which live upon mice?

"There are yet three peculiar circumstances to be

929

noted, which would naturally make the Hebrew legislator singularly attentive to the preservation of birds.

"(1.) He was conducting a colony of people into a country with which they were unacquainted, and where they might very probably attempt to extirpate any species of bird that seemed troublesome, without adverting to its real importance; just as the Virginian colonists did, in the case of their crow.

"(2.) Palestine is situated in a climate producing poisonous snakes and scorpions, and between deserts and mountains, from which it would be overrun with those snakes, if the birds that lived on them were extirpated. "(3.) From the same deserts, too, it would be overwhelmed with immense multitudes of locusts and mice, if it were destitute of those birds that resort thither to feed on them; not to mention the formidable swarms of flies in the East, and particularly in Palestine."

Of birds, that which most attracts the attention of a stranger in the West Indies is the large carrion crow, called by the negroes the "John Crow," found in the island of Jamaica. It is a large, heavy, sluggish bird, about the size of a British turkey, the head exactly resembling that of the latter. It is black in colour, and in the interior of the country is seen floating at an immense height above every hamlet. Its sense of smell is so keen, that it will discern the effluvia from the body of the smallest dead animal at several miles' distance; and has been known to scent the dead bodies in wrecks when the vessels themselves were out of sight of land. They are found so beneficial to the health of this island, in thus consuming all putrid animal substances, that a fine of a doubloon (51. currency) is exacted for killing one of them. A similar law prevails in the southern part of the United States for the same reason; but the bird there is the turkey buzzard, and it is commonly known as "the five-pound bird."

The Psalmist says, "Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God." Rosenmüller observes upon this passage," By the altars of Jehovah we are to understand the Temple. The words probably refer to the custom of several nations of antiquity, that birds which build their nests on the temples, or within the limits of them, were not suffered to be driven away, much less killed, but found a secure and uninterrupted dwelling. Hence, according to a tradition preserved by Herodotus, when a man named Aristodikus disturbed the birds' nests of the temple of Kuma, and took the young from them, a voice is said to have spoken from the interior of the temple, Most villanous of men, how darest thou do such a thing? to drive away such as seek refuge in my temple?' and the Athenians were so enraged at Atarbes, who had killed a sparrow which built on the temple of Esculapius, that they killed him. Among the Arabs, who are more closely related to the Hebrews, birds which have built their nests on the temple of Mecca, were inviolable from the earliest times. In the very ancient poem of a Dschorhamidish prince, published by A. Schultens, in which he laments that his tribe had been deprived of the protection of the sanctuary of Mecca, it is said,—

We lament the house, whose dove
Was never suffered to be hurt;

She remained there secure; in it also
The sparrow built its nest.

Another ancient Arabian poet, Nabega, the Dhobianit, swears by the sanctuary which affords shelter to the birds which seek it there.' Niebuhr says, 'Among the Mohammedans, not only is the Kaaba a refuge for pigeons, but also on the mosques over the graves of Ali

and Hossein, on the Dsjamea, or chief mosque at Helle, and in other cities, they are equally undisturbed.""

The nests of different birds are wonderfully different. One is a basket-maker, and he interweaves a variety of twigs, some of them flexible, and others which it would be thought that he could hardly bend to his purpose, until he has formed a basket; sometimes coarse enough, at other times excelled only in beauty, in delicacy, in closeness, and in strength, by the savages of Southern Africa. These are the missel-thrush, the bullfinch, the jay, the rook, and many others. Some are weavers, and few of the fabrics of the loom excel their productions in the complicated variety and delicacy of the web. The beak beats the shuttle. The chaffinch, the greenfinch, the water-wagtail, and the hedge-sparrow, are weavers. Others are tailors. Mr. Wilson, the ornithologist, had the curiosity to examine the nest of the orchard starling. One of the stalks of dried grass-the thread that the bird had used-had been passed no less than thirty-four times through the material. One bird -the tailor-bird par excellence-picks up a dead leaf, and, with the dried fibres of grass for his thread, sews it to the side of a living one, and then lines the bag with feathers or with down. Another, more ingenious, weaves his own thread. He gathers some fibres from a cotton-tree, and spins it into a thread with his bill and his toes. We have no native British bird who follows the tailor's trade. Some are masons, others are carpenThere are those who build on platforms, or who perforate the sand, or even the stone-banks. Some form their nests of the most adhesive cement; others give to their roofs the form of a dome; others content themselves with no nests at all; and-the worst set of the wholethere are some who expel the rightful proprietors from their home, and then set them at complete defiance. One of the most singularly composed nests is that of the Hindoostan baya, or bottle-nested sparrow. It is formed of long grass, woven together in the shape of a bottle, with the neck hanging downwards, and suspended by the other end to the extremity of a flexible branch, the more effectually to secure the eggs and young birds from serpents, monkeys, squirrels, and birds of prey. The nests contain different apartments appropriated to differ

ters.

ent purposes. In one the hen performs the office of incubation; another, consisting of a little thatched roof, and having a perch, is occupied by the male, who, with his chirping note, cheers the female during her maternal duties. It is added that the Hindoos are very fond of these birds on account of their docility and sagacity. When young, they teach them to fetch and carry; and at the time when the young women resort to the public. fountains, their lovers instruct the baya to pluck the teca, or golden ornament from the forehead of their favourites, and bring it to their masters. Dr. Fryer says of the same bird, "She builds her nest like a steeplehive, with winding meanders in it. Before it hangs a penthouse, to defend it from the rain. It is tied with so slender a thread to the bough of the tree, that the squirrel dares not venture to attack it. Yet it is strong enough to bear the hanging habitation of the ingenious contriver, free from all the assaults of its antagonists, and all the accidents of gusts and storms."

"I observed," says a distinguished naturalist, "a pair of goldfinches beginning to make their nest in my garden. They had formed the groundwork with moss and grass as usual; but on my scattering small parcels of wool in different parts of the garden, they in a great measure left off the use of their own stuff and employed the wool. Afterwards I gave them cotton, on which they rejected the wool and proceeded with the cotton. The third day I supplied them with fine down, on which they forsook both the others, and finished the work with the last article. This they rendered firm and compact by pressing the materials with their breasts, and turning themselves round and round upon them in every direction. They then formed a plain border round the nest, which they afterwards turned; and upon this they piled up tufts of cotton, which they felted into the wall by beating and pressing upon it, as with the other parts; arranging every projecting corner with their beaks, so as to interlace it into the tissue. What nice hand, with every implement and means of art,' could make a bird's nest?"

In the British Museum there is an extensive collection of birds' nests; no two of them are exactly alike, and many of them differ very materially.

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« FöregåendeFortsätt »