570 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



" On the third day the birds began to rear the side walls of the 

 nest, after having rendered the body compact by repeatedly press- 

 ing the materials with their breasts, and turning themselves round 

 ' upon them in all directions. They first formed a plain border, 

 which they afterward trimmed, and upon this they piled up tufts 

 of cotton, which was fitted into the structure by beating and press- 

 ing it with their breasts and the shoulders of their wings, taking- 

 care to arrange any projecting corner with their beaks, so as to 

 interlace it into the tissue, and to render it more firm. As the 

 work proceeded, the contiguous branches of the bush were envel- 

 oped in the side walls, but without damaging the circular cavity 

 of the interior. This part of the nest required many materials, so 

 that I was quite astonished at the quantity which they used. 



" On the seventh day their task was finished, and, being anx- 

 ious to examine the interior, I determined to introduce my finger, 

 when I felt an egg that had been probably laid that morning, for 

 on the previous evening I could see that there was no egg in it, 

 as it was not quite covered in. 



" This beautiful edifice, which was as white as snow, was nine 

 inches in height on the outside, while in the inside it was not 

 more than five. Its external form was very irregular, on account 

 of the branches which it had been found necessary to inclose ; but 

 the inside exactly resembled a pullet's egg placed with the small- 

 er end upward. Its greatest diameter was five inches, and the 

 smallest four. The entrance was two thirds or more of the whole 

 height as seen on the outside, but within it almost reached the 

 arch of the ceiling above." 



One of the most remarkable points of this singularly beautiful 

 nest is the firm texture of the walls. Externally, the nest looks 

 as if it were a mere large hollow bunch of cotton wool with a hole 

 near the top, and seems to be so fragile that the eggs would fall 

 through the fabric. But when the inside of the nest is viewed, it 

 is seen to be composed of a kind of felt, as firm and close as if it 

 had been formed by human art, so that neither wind nor wet can 

 penetrate ; and it is capable of upholding a much greater weight 

 than would be introduced into it. To pull out a tuft of the cot- 

 ton wool is impossible without tearing a hole in the fabric, so 

 closely are the delicate fibres interwoven with each other. 



In" the accompanying illustration are shown the nests of two 

 species of Humming-bird. 



