182 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



While the study of avian mentality is a difficult undertaking, 

 this is no excuse for the fact that up to this date (1922) that 

 field of endeavor has been only scratched on its surface. The 

 birds of the world are by no means so destitute of ideas and 

 inventions that they merit almost universal neglect. Because 

 of the suggestions they contain we will point out a few prominent 

 mental traits in birds, chosen at random. 



At the same time, let us all beware of seeing too much, and 

 chary of recording scientific hallucinations. It is better to see 

 nothing than to see many things that are not true! In ten 

 octavo pages that particular rock can split wide open the best 

 reputation ever grown. 



Bird Architecture. The widom of birds in the selection 

 of nesting sites, the designing of the best nest for their respective 

 wants, and finally the construction of them, indicate instinct, 

 reasoning power and mechanical skill of a high order. The 

 range from the wonderful woven homes of the weaver bird and 

 the Baltimore oriole down to the bare and nestless incubating 

 spot of the penguin is so great that nothing less than a volume 

 can furnish space in which to set it forth. But let us at least 

 take a brief glance at a wide range of home-building activities 

 by birds. 



The orioles, caciques and weavers weave wonderful homes 

 of fibrous material, often in populous communities. 



The bower birds erect remarkable bowers, as playhouses. 



The brush turkey scratches together a huge mound of sticks 

 and leaves, four feet by ten or twelve wide at the base. 



The vireo and many others turn out beautiful cup-like nests. 



The hummingbird builds with the solidity and tenacity of 

 the wasp. 



The swallow is a wonderful modeler with mud. 



The guacharo builds a solid nest like a cheese with a concave 

 top. 



The auklet, the puffin and the kingfishers burrow into the 

 friendly and solid earth. 



