THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 159 



a silver watch was disposed of in one part of the pile, 

 the glass of the same watch in another, and the works 

 in still another." * 



The other examples are of birds. The so-called 

 thieving of crows and ravens shows their characteristic 

 bent in its simplest form, for they all delight to carry 

 small, bright objects to their nests. Naumann certifies 

 to it of the pond raven, crow, hooded raven, curlew, 

 jackdaw, and magpie, f The bastard nightingale also 

 likes to trim the outside of its nest with bark, feathers, 

 shavings, and scraps of paper. \ The Miillers describe 

 a wren's nest that was lined with bright yellow chicken 

 feathers.* Romanes says that there are " many spe- 

 cies of birds that habitually adorn their nests with 

 gaily coloured feathers, wool, cotton, or other gaudy 

 material. ... In many cases a marked preference is 

 shown for particular objects, as, for instance, in the 

 case of the Syrian nuthatch, which chooses the irides- 

 cent wings of insects, or that of the great crested fly- 

 catcher, which similarly chooses the cast-off skins of 

 snakes. But no doubt the most remarkable of these 

 cases is that of the Baya bird of Asia, which, after hav- 

 ing completed its bottle-shaped and chambered nest, 

 studs it over with small lumps of clay, both inside and 

 out, upon which the cock bird sticks fireflies, appar- 

 ently for the sole purpose of securing a brilliantly dec- 

 orative effect. Other birds, such as the hammer-head 

 of Africa, adorn the surroundings of their nests, which 

 are built upon the ground, with shells, bones, pieces 

 of broken glass and earthenware, or any objects of a 



* James, The Principles of Psychology, ii, p. 424. 



f Naturgeschichte der Vogel Deutschlands, ii, p. 50. 

 X A. and K. Miiller, Thiere der Heimath, i, p. 56. 



* Ibid., i, p. 61. 



