Bird Architecture 



rafters ; the Baltimore oriole makes a unique pouch 

 from fine grasses, hair, string, plant fibre, down, 

 woollen or cotton strips, felting the numerous mater- 

 ials into a thin but wonderfully strong material that 

 neither storms nor the weight of a family can tear 

 where it hangs from the tip of a high branch well 

 beyond the reach of snakes and small boys — equally 

 unwelcome visitors from the bird's point of view. 

 Birds are exceedingly particular about the materials 

 for their nests ; even the slovenly, amorous dove 

 rejects one stick in 

 preference to another 

 for her rickety lat- 

 tice. The little, chip- 

 ping sparrow will 

 have horse hair, that 

 and nothing elseinthe 

 world, to line her cup- 

 shaped cradle. The 

 goldfinch chooses 

 thistledown for her 

 upholstery. After a 

 heavy rain, how 

 many robins' nests 

 fall to the ground ! 

 This is because the 

 unfortunate masons 

 used mud among the 

 grasses in the cradle 

 rather than sticky, 

 impervious clay, 



which, unhappily, is not always to be found The 

 phoebe, cementing her exquisite nest of moss and 



■53 



1 lie little chipping sparrow will have horse 



hair, that and nothing else in the world, 



lo line her cup-shaped cradle 



