THE BIRD'S NEST 37 



" An architect, my boy," said the Doctor, " is anybody 

 who knows how to build anything as it ought to be 

 built, to look the best and be the most useful, whether 

 it is a house or a nest." 



" I wonder why nests are so different," said Rap, look- 

 ing down the lane toward the river where the sun was 

 streaming in and so many little birds were flying tc> 

 and fro that they seemed like last year's leaves being 

 blown about. 



" Because, as the habits of the birds cause them to 

 live in different places, and feed in various ways, so 

 their homes must be suitable to their surroundings, 

 and be built in the best way to protect the young birds 

 from harm to keep them safe from House People, 

 cannibal birds, and bad weather. 



" The trim Thrushes and Sparrows, who are all 

 brownish birds, and find their insect or seed food on 

 or near the ground, build open nests low down in trees 

 and bushes, or on the earth itself ; but the gorgeous 

 Baltimore Oriole, with his flaming feathers, makes a 

 long pocket-shaped nest of string and strong plant 

 fibres, which he swings high up in an elm tree, where 

 it cannot be reached from below, and the leaves hide 

 this cradle while the winds rock it. He knows that it 

 would never do to trust his brilliant feathers down by 

 the ground. 



"The frail Hummingbird has no real strength to 

 fight enemies bigger than its tiny self, but it has been 

 given for protection the power of flying as quick as 

 a whizzing bullet, and courage enough to attack even a 

 Kingbird in defence of its nest, which is a tiny circle 

 of down, covered with lichens, and is so fastened across 



