NATURAL HISTORY. 39 



him, half in earnest, if he did not think that 

 these birds could be taught to darn stockings ? 

 Mr. Wilson took the pains too to draw out one 

 of these grass threads, and found that it mea- 

 sured thirteen inches, and in that distance the 

 bird who used it had passed it in and out 

 thirty-four times." 



" Why, this was sewing, sure enough." 



" Yes ; and I saw, when I was in the West 

 Indies, another kind of starling* which will 

 cut leaves into a shape like the quarter of an 

 orange-rind, and sew the whole very neatly to 

 the under side of a banana-leaf, so as to 

 make one side of the nest. But, boys, there 

 is another most beautiful little bird, which is 

 called the tailor-bird, because it sews so well.f 

 It first picks out a plant with large leaves, then 

 it gathers cotton from the shrub, and with the 

 help of its fine long bill and slender little feet 

 it spins this cotton into a thread, and then 

 using its bill for a needle, it will sew these 

 large leaves together to hide its nest, and sew 

 them very neatly, too." 



" Why, dear Uncle Philip, this is the most 

 wonderful tailor of them all." 



" He is, indeed : but, my children, what do 



* Icterus bonana. t Sylvia eutoria. 



