BIKD-ALTKUISM 75 



been rebuilt. This I at once assailed with a walking 

 stick, to the natural resentment of the little builders, who 

 screamed fiercely, but did not attempt to rebuild that day. 

 Since then it has been a trial of strength between these 

 plucky little birds and the big human being, showing, I 

 think, some power of strategy on the part of the former 

 and some signs of failing determination on the part of 

 the latter. From May 14 to 19 there were daily buildings 

 and destructions. On May 20 the nest was destroyed at 

 9 a.m., and at 11 a.m. a large piece was again built. This 

 I did not touch ; but, notwithstanding, on May 21 and 22 

 no building took place. From the 23rd to the 30th the 

 nest was built and destroyed daily. On the 31st it was 

 built but not destroyed, and, strange to say, no building 

 took place for a week. One June 8 building again began, 

 and continued to the 10th, after which, from June 11 

 to 30, nothing was built, and I fondly imagined the 

 struggle was over, and that the birds had recognized dis- 

 cretion as the better part of valour, and wisely chosen 

 another sphere for their operations. But alas ! on look- 

 ing out of my window this morning (6 a.m., July 1) I 

 found a new mud wall erected, and my first work must 

 be one of destruction. 



The interesting point to decide is : Is it invincible deter- 

 mination or invincible ignorance on the part of these 

 small creatures? The long spaces of time allowed to 

 pass between some of the building operations would seem 

 to show their wish to persuade me that they had given 

 up all intention of building in the debated spot, and thus 

 to throw me off my guard so that they could return to 

 the attack unobserved. On the other hand, their coming 

 back at all seems to point to some lack of intelligence on 

 their part in appreciating the forces arrayed against them 

 in the big human being with the strong will and the stick. 

 Or perhaps, after all, they may be cleverer than appears, 

 and may have gauged quite accurately the weak place in 

 the big human being's position, namely, the soft spot in 



