THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 281 



wounds fr.om the sharp blows of its beak. More than one 

 mariner has left a portion of his trousers behind him. 



The tribe of masons is very numerous, and these winged 

 architects employ very various materials in their edifices. 

 Many, like the ancient Germans, construct their buildings 

 only with earth or clay. Others make use of plants after 

 having worked them into a pulp like mortar or mastic. 



The most powerful, but at the same time the clumsiest, of 

 all our race of masons is the flamingo, the rude construc- 

 tions of which we pardon for the sake of its splendid plu- 

 mage, tinted with rose color and brilliant red. This great 

 wader, gorgeous troops of which enjoy themselves on the 

 shores of hot countries, usually builds its nest not far from 

 the sea, and arranges it in a very peculiar way, as its mon- 

 strously long legs would not adapt themselves to the ordi- 

 nary style of nest building. 



Flamingoes place their nests upon the ground, and build 

 them solely of coarsely tempered mud. These nests are 

 very curiously shaped, being like a narrow, lengthened cone, 

 and are about twenty inches in height ; their truncated 

 summit presents a concavity, at the bottom of which the 

 female deposits two or three white eggs. In order to hatch 

 them she places her abdomen over them, and allows her 

 legs to hang down on both sides of the raised cone which 

 forms her edifice. 



Our visitants, the swallows, are more skilful builders than 

 the flamingoes. The little nuptial chambers which they 

 construct beneath the cornices of our windows, or in the 

 pointed arches of our churches, are made of pure earth, 

 which they pick out bit by bit on the bank of the river. 

 Who knows in the course of how many journeys ? 



