250 JUNGLE FOLK 



of. She gathered them up, indeed, but without 

 knowing how to employ them. She put them together 

 and stored them in a corner of the cage. ... I gave 

 her the nest ready made— at least, the little basket 

 that forms the framework of the walls of the structure. 

 Then she made the mattress and felted the interior 

 coating, but in a very indifferent manner." 



Michelet construes these facts as proof that the art of 

 nest-building is not innate in birds, but has to be 

 learned. As a matter of fact they prove exactly the 

 opposite. The Frenchman's reasoning is typical of 

 that of those persons who make their facts fit in with 

 their theories. Michelet is blinded by his preconceived 

 notions. He is unable to see things which should be 

 apparent to all. If the art of nest-building is not 

 innate, why did the canary fly about the room collecting 

 the necessary materials and heap them in a corner of 

 the cage? That she did not go so far as to build 

 a nest is easily explained by the fact that she was not 

 given a suitable site for it, that the necessary founda- 

 tion of branches was not provided for her. As well 

 might one say that a bricklayer did not know his trade 

 because he failed to build a wall on the surface of the 

 sea. When given the framework, Michelet's untaught 

 canary lost no time in lining it. The alleged act that 

 the lining was not well done may be explained in many 

 ways. Michelet may have imagined this, or the 

 materials provided may not have been altogether 

 suitable ; moreover, Jonquille must have worked in 

 haste, as the framework was presumably not given 

 until the bird had collected all the material. Again, 



