396 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Wea 



imperfect. The bird has neither the squirrel's hand nor the 

 beaver's tooth. Having only his bill and his foot (which by no 

 means serves the purpose of a hand), it seems that the nest 

 should be to him an insoluble problem. The tool really used 

 is the bird's own body his breast with which he presses and 

 kneads the materials until he has rendered them completely 

 pliable, has thoroughly mixed them, and subdued them to the 

 general work. Within, too, the implement which determines 

 the circular form of the nest is no other than the bird's own 

 body. By constantly turning about and ramming the walls on 

 every side, he succeeds in shaping the circle. Thus, then, his 

 house is his very person, his form, and his immediate effort, 

 perhaps his suffering. The result is only obtained by a con- 

 stantly repeated pressure of his breast. There is not one of 

 these blades of grass but which, to take and retain the form, of 

 a curve, has been a thousand and a thousand times pressed 

 against his bosom, his heart, certainly with much disturbance 

 of the respiration, perhaps with much palpitation. "Where 

 there is a will there is a way." Only bad workmen, who have 

 no strong desire to accomplish their task, ever desert it for the 

 want of tools. T. B. 



The Courage of the Weak. 



Although the gazelles are generally considered extremely 

 timid animals, which, moreover, their weakness would fully 

 justify, they display on emergency a surprising courage. When 

 they cannot escape from danger through agility, they bravely 

 confront the enemy which attacks them. Menaced by a panther 

 or a leopard, they form themselves into a circle, which, bristling 

 everywhere with keen-pointed horns, compels the antagonist 

 to retreat. D. 



The Low Means of Defence of Weak Natures. 



The second English snake is the common harmless ringed 

 snake, which does not bite, because it has no teeth to speak 

 of, and does not poison people, because it has no venom at all. 

 Its only mode of defence is by pouring forth a most unpleasant, 



