BIRD NOTES AFIELD 



and tiled roofs, while the people of Switzerland build chalets. 

 It is an adherence to such habits of architecture as developed 

 most naturally in conformity with the customs of the people. 

 Birds which find their food chiefly on the ground naturally nest 

 in such places, and build their nests of such material as lies 

 nearest to bill — grasses and bits of straw. The woodpeckers, 

 which get their living from the bark of the trees, simply peck a 

 deeper cavity in which to rear their young. 



Then, too, the young birds get their first impressions of life 

 from the nest, and first impressions are always lasting ones. No 

 doubt they remember much of their childhood surroundings, 

 and when the responsibilities of life are thrust upon them they 

 try to repeat what they recall of their own youth. In support 

 of this idea it is found that in cases of nests known to have been 

 built by inexperienced birds, the work was very imperfectly 

 done. It is also well known that many birds have accommo- 

 dated themselves to new conditions of life, and in taking up 

 their abodes in the vicinity of man have changed their nesting 

 habits to a greater or less degree. For instance, the familiar 

 chipping-sparrow seldom lines her nest with anything but long 

 horse hairs, although before the introduction of horses the short 

 hairs of the larger wild mammals served the same purpose. 



Another interesting example of a change, due to the advent 

 of civilization, in nesting habits of a bird is that of the chimney- 

 swift of the eastern states. This species habitually nests in 

 chimneys not in use, fastening its cup of sticks to the sides of 

 the brick flume by means of its gummy saliva. Vaux*s swift, 

 a very closely related species found upon the Pacific Coast, 

 has apparently not adopted this improvement, and still builds 

 its home in the good old-fashioned way within a hollow tree. 



[108] 



