298 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



constant watching by all of us to protect it from 

 sparrows, jays, hawks, owls, and cats attracted 

 by it. All winter it stood, while rains and winds 

 did their worst. The following March that nest 

 remained the most prominent feature of the back- 

 yard. 



Anyone who desires can prove for himself that 

 the birds will leave such material as they can glean 

 from nature, and build a nest rivalling the rainbow, 

 by culling bright rags and string and scattering 

 them over the ground and bushes, where nest mate- 

 rial is being gathered. Understand, I am not ad- 

 vising people to do this systematically, for every 

 particle of bright material used in the construc- 

 tion of a nest advertises it to all of its natural 

 enemies. I am only pointing out how my state- 

 ment can be proved if doubted. 



I have gone further and placed gaudy rags and 

 yarn beside twine and plain colours. The birds see 

 the plain material, because they use it, after the 

 lasi shred of bright stuff is gone. Here is another 

 problem for believers in instinct only. If birds 

 build by instinct, why do they persist in using 

 brighl stuff, foreign to natural selection, that will 

 inevitably end in the destruction of their nests? 



Not only do birds build of surprising material 

 when they have the opportunity, but they build 

 in queer places, without question foolishly chosen. 

 If "instinct" guides their selection then it is often 

 sadly at fault. I find nests on the ground where 



