MAY, 1882. 169 



ing after the storm the lawn is covered with active 

 multitudes all in a state of determined activity whether 

 the result of a council of peace, or led by an inventive 

 genius that had risen to the occasion, we know not ; and 

 the birds were tearing great bunches of moss up through 

 the snow and flying off with it, in order to render their 

 nurseries better suited to the strange freak of a season 

 they had hitherto found so kind. Now, we do not 

 suppose these birds will continue to use moss in future 

 any more than they have done in the past, as their 

 simple style of structure skilful as it is in a way is 

 quite sufficient for their purpose in ordinary circum- 

 stances ; but it is a remarkable proof of the capacity of 

 birds to rise up to the occasion when they could thus 

 promptly augment the chilly nests in the tree-tops with a 

 warmer and hitherto unemployed material. It seems to 

 us, indeed, that for a rook to thus suddenly make use of 

 moss is on a par with the American weaver bird that 

 sewed its nest with wire from a blacksmith's shop. It is 

 certain that birds are as capable of suiting themselves to 

 circumstances in the matter of material and form as most 

 savage nations, and we know how almost impossible it is 

 to get an orthodox African savage to build his hut other 

 than circular. 



We have been wandering this morning in a land of 

 wonders until the time has slipped through our fingers, 

 and we found it most difficult to return from the labyrin- 

 thine mazes. Here are glorious trees of strange cactus 

 form reaching across the mouths of the mammoth cave- 

 like entrances. Carefully we descend into the abysses 

 and get lost in the dark recesses, down which stretch 

 beautifully formed greenish branches, turning brown in 

 the drier winds we have had. We are threading our 



