heraldry, according to their several kinds, represent either the contemplative or active life. They are the emblems of liberty, expedition, readiness, swiftness, and fear. They are more honourable bearings than fishes, because they participate more of air and fire, the two noblest and highest elements, than of earth and water.—Birds must be borne in coat-armour, as is best fitting the propriety of their natural actions of going, sitting, standing, flying, &c. Birds that are either whole footed, or have their feet divided, and yet have no talons, are said to be unfeathered; but the cock, and all birds of prey with sharp and hooked beaks and talons for encounter or defence, are termed armed. In the blazoning of birds, if their wings be not displayed, they are said to be borne close; as, he beareth an eagle, &c. close.

Birds-Nests, in cookery, the nest of a small Indian swallow, very delicately tailed, and frequently mixed among soups. On the sea-coasts of China, at certain seasons of the year, there are seen vast numbers of these birds; they leave the inland country at their breeding time, and come to build in the rocks, and fashion their nests out of a spumous matter, which they find on the shore, washed thither by the waves. The nature of this substance is not yet ascertained. According to Kämpfer, it is mollusce or sea-worms; according to M. le Poivre, fish-spawn; and according to Dalrymple, sea-weeds. The nests are of a hemispheric figure, and of the size of a goose's egg, and in substance much resemble the ichthyocolla or ifinglass. The Chinese gather these nests, and sell them to all parts of the world; they dissolve in broths, &c. and make a kind of jelly of a very delicious flavour.