34 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



is mainly composed of the culms of grasses, with 

 a slight intersprinkling of leaves and rootlets. 

 Within, there is an excess of the stems of grasses 

 and a few rootlets. The entire fabric is carelessly 

 arranged with little evidence of design. But for the 

 strips of bark that cover the outside, the nest 

 unsupported by the branches upon which it was 

 built, would be shivered to pieces by the gentlest 

 breeze. 



The most beautiful fabric we have seen was 

 constructed close to a human habitation. The 

 outside of this cozy and beautiful structure is 

 composed of wool, raw cotton, strings, fragments 

 of lamp wick, a slight intermixture of tangled silk, 

 fragments of lichen possibly Cenomyce rangiferina, 

 held in situ by strands of silk. Upon this basis, 

 is built a superstructure of fine rootlets, inter- 

 mingled with patches of wool. For a lining 

 internally, small dichotomously-divided branches 

 of Panicum capillare and wool were use'd. This 

 nest is the most unique specimen of architecture 

 of the Cat Bird which we have ever seen. Nothing 

 of the kind have we seen described in books. 

 It was certainly the work of superior mechanics. 



The foregoing fact with others of a similar 

 character which we have noticed, conclusively 

 shows that birds are not the dull routine-loving 

 beings which we have often depicted them to be; 

 such of us as have some pet theory to support. It 

 is evident from a thousand circumstances, that 

 they often reason a-priori from cause to con- 



