124 



THE OLIVE LEAF. CHAP. 



crude and imperfect than those of their parents, or than 

 those which they themselves afterwards make. The 

 best-constructed nests are formed by birds whose young 

 remain a long time in them, and thus have more oppor- 

 tunity of seeing how they are made. We see almost 

 the same display of reasoning powers in the selection of 

 locality, choice of materials suitable for warmth and 

 concealment, and adaptation of parts to requirements, 

 which the savage evinces in the construction of his rude 

 hut ; and the nests of birds do not vary less from gen- 

 eration to generation than the abodes of primitive man. 

 The bird-instinct seems to be like some lost human 

 sense, teaching it what man cannot know the mystery 

 of our common nature that lies beyond the reach of 

 reason. 



As the swallow's nest is intended for incubation and 

 nursing, it is made durable and compact. It is said 

 that men acquired the first notions of architecture from 

 birds; and according to this theory we are told that 

 Doxius, the inventor of clay-houses, took the hint from 

 the swallow's nest. The same variety characterizes the 

 one as the other. No two in either case are exactly 

 alike. It is from want of long-continued observation 

 that we fail to discover any progress in the construction 

 of the swallow's nest. M. Pouchet, who carefully 

 studied the subject, found a decided improvement in 

 the nests of swallows at Rouen during his own life- 

 time. It is certain that in historical times the bird has 

 modified its habits to some extent. In pre-Christian 

 ages in this country there were no stone buildings. 



