226 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



thought he might find useful. He began by digging a 

 hole in the gravel, removing the little stones and sand in 

 his mouth, and carrying them away to some little distance. 

 Then he brought hair after hair, and poked them into the 

 shallow hole he had dug, sometimes adding a little stone, 

 and often rubbing his side over the part of his work 

 that was so far complete. When the lower part of the 

 nest was finished, he began to roof it in, bringing hair 

 after hair with indefatigable industry, and rubbing his gay 

 sides over it with evident gusto. And as it drew near to 

 completion, he occasionally dived through it, remaining 

 inside it some little time, and wriggling about, with his 

 dainty little tail sticking out at one end, and his saucy 

 little head, with its bright sapphire eye, appearing in the 

 most engaging fashion above the gravel at the other end. 

 Finally he fetched in his mouth a considerable quantity of 

 fine gravel, with which he covered up the roof of his little 

 nest, so that its position could only be recognized by the 

 larger opening at one end, the opening of the back-door 

 being either closed, or, at all events, inconspicuous. 



The nest being complete, and my little friend returning 

 to it again and again presumably to put a few finishing 

 touches, and to assure himself that it was all right, it 

 struck me that the occasion was a good one for ascertain- 

 ing how far the Thornie, has a well-developed or ill- 

 developed bump of locality. I therefore during his 

 absence from the nest turned the tank, a round one, 

 through about a right angle. The result was that my 

 little friend went repeatedly to the usual place as indicated 

 by the way the light fell that is to the side of the tank 

 nearest the window, and not to its true place as indicated 

 by the relative position of the water-weeds, which had of 

 course undergone no change. Not finding his nest, he 

 appeared somewhat confused (I speak anthropomorphi- 



