150 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



The long and large materials were always taken first, 

 and two of the longest were generally laid cross-wise, 

 with one of the ends of each touching the wall, and 

 the other ends projecting out into the room. The 

 area formed by the crossed brushes and the wall, he 

 would fill up with hand brushes, rush baskets, books, 

 boots, sticks, cloths, dried turf, or anything portable. 

 As the work grew high, he supported himself on his 

 tail, which propped him up admirably, and he would 

 often, after laying-on one of his building materials, 

 sit up over against it, appearing to consider his work, 

 or, as the country people say, 'judge ' it. This pause 

 was sometimes followed by changing the position of 

 the material ' judged,' and sometimes it was left in 

 its place. After he had piled up his materials in one 

 part of the room, (for he generally chose the same 

 place,) he proceeded to wall up the space between 

 the feet of a chest of drawers which stood at a little 

 distance from it, high enough on its legs to make the 

 bottom a roof for him ; using for this purpose dried 

 turf and sticks, which he laid very even, and filling 

 up the interstices with bits of coal, hay, cloth, or 

 anything he could pick up. This last place he 

 seemed to appropriate for his dwelling ; the former 

 work seemed to be intended for a dam. When he 

 had walled up the space between the feet of the 

 chest of drawers, he proceeded to carry in sticks, 

 cloths, hay, cotton, &c., to make a nest; and when 

 he had done, he would sit up under the drawers, 

 and comb himself with the nails of his hind feet. 

 " Binny generally carried small and light articles 



