276 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



instinct. Rather should we endow them with 

 Hmited reasoning powers, with inteUigence and 

 forethought, in the construction of their beau- 

 tiful if utilitarian homes. It is almost safe to 

 say that if birds had not been so endowed with 

 some amount of reasoning faculties, enabling 

 them to change their habits and economy in 

 sympathy with a changing universe, they would 

 all have become extinct long ago. One of the 

 most remarkable proofs in favour of reason 

 and absolutely fatal to instinct was brought 

 before our notice years ago. Some young 

 Chaffinches were taken out to New Zealand, 

 and these in due course attempted to make a 

 nest. The structure was so utterly different 

 from the typical nest of this species as to be 

 quite unrecognisable, and was possibly a crude 

 imitation of the nest of some New Zealand 

 bird. Particulars of this instance were fully 

 recorded by us in Natuj'e at the time, and again 

 in our work entitled Jottings about Birds. It is 

 somewhat difficult, however, to grasp the com- 

 plete philosophy of this entrancing subject of 

 nidification without taking into consideration 

 the Eggs of birds, and to these we intend to 

 devote the following chapter. 



