BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN. 67 



What power unseen inspires these little creatures 

 with " the passion of the groves," at the most fit 

 season for forming their alliances wben^ the 'genial 

 temper of the weather covers the trees with leaves, 

 the fields with grass, and produces such swarms of 

 insects for the support of their future progeny ! And 

 how comes it to pass, that no sooner is the connubial 

 league formed than those little warblers (a pattern to 

 new-married couples in humble life, who have no- 

 thing 'but their own industry to depend on,) imme- 

 diately set about building their nests, and making 

 preparations for their tender offspring ! 



In the building of their nests, what art and inge- 

 nuity are displayed ! Whether they are constructed 

 from the collected portions of clay and mortar, or 

 from the more light materials of moss and straw, 

 these little creatures contrive to mould them into the 

 most convenient forms, and to give them a durabi- 

 lity proportionate to their wants. 



" It wins my admiration, 



To view the structure of that little work, 

 A bird's nest ; mark it well within, without, 

 No tool had he that wrought, no knife to cut, 

 No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert, 

 No glue to join ! his little beak was all ! 

 And yet how neatly finish'd." 



Nor is the wonder less, that birds of the same 

 kind, however widely separated, should all follow 

 the same order of architecture in the construction 



