BUILDING ENTHUSIASTS 



of its skill in diving in order to obtain material for that 

 purpose. As in the case of the moorhen, the young dab- 

 chicks swim and dive almost as soon as they are hatched. 



MULTIPLE NESTS 



As a rule, a bird loses no time in proceeding to the more 

 serious business of bringing up a young family when once its 

 nest is completed, though, as we have seen, much labour and 

 skill and loving care may be devoted to the preparation of 

 their nursery. But some birds appear to revel in the exer- 

 cise of their craftsmanship to such a degree that they are not 

 content with making one nest ; they build and even com- 

 plete several before finally settling down to family life. We 

 have already mentioned an instance of this exuberant in- 

 stinct for construction in our chapter on the masons, but 

 the Syrian Nuthatch is by no means the only example. The 

 common Siskin (Spinus viridis) has similar proclivities, and 

 in both cases the peculiar habit of these birds seems equally 

 unaccountable, for owing to their manner of nesting they 

 are not very liable to be molested, and to us there does not 

 appear to be any particular reason why they should abandon 

 a nest which, as far as we are able to judge, is perfectly 

 adapted to the purpose for which it was intended, and begin 

 their labour all over again. 



The siskin inhabits countries from the British Isles east- 

 ward as far as Japan, nesting chiefly in the more northerly 

 regions. It is a lively little bird, and until the fledglings 

 leave the nest the cock bird sings merrily, especially while on 

 the wing. It is seldom known to build in England, but 

 in Scotland, amongst its favourite firs and pines, it does so 

 regularly. 



The nest is very similar to that of the goldfinch, but it is 

 not finished with the same extreme neatness. That, how- 



84 



