348 STRANGE DWELLINGS. 



stance of the nest- walls was the soft, white down produced by 

 certain plants, and that the birds used an enormous amount of 

 materials in comparison with their own size. As, however, they 

 found that upon the naturalist's table was always a plentiful 

 supply of vegetable down and fibres ready plucked, they m 

 geniously saved themselves the trouble of collecting, and simply 

 lesorted to the hospitable tent. 



The male was the principal collector of materials, and the 

 female the chief architect. He used to fly off, and return with 

 a mass of cotton-wool, moss, or tow, and deposit it close to the 

 spot where his mate was at work. Then she would take the 

 materials, arrange them, press them into form, and only ask his 

 assistance in carrying out her plans. He pressed, and pecked 

 and pulled the cotton-wool so as to reduce it to a kind of felt, 

 but did not seem to originate any architectural ideas, leaving 

 them to his more ingenious mate. 



Le Vaillant's account of the mode of working is so interesting 

 and elegant that in justice to himself it must be given in his 

 own words. After describing the process of fetching materials 

 and laying them in their places, he proceeds as follows : — 



' This agreeable occupation was often interrupted by innocent 

 and playful gambols, though the female appeared to be so 

 actively and anxiously employed about her building as to have 

 less relish for trifling than the male, and she even punished him 

 for his frolics by pecking him well with her beak. He, on the 

 other hand, fought in his turn, pecked, pulled down the work 

 which they had done, prevented the female from continuing 

 her labours, and, in a word, seemed to tell her, " On account 

 of this work you refuse to be my playmate, therefore you shall 

 not do it." 



* It will scarcely be credited that, entirely from what I saw 

 and knew respecting these little altercations, I was both sur- 

 prised and angry at the female. In order, however, to save the 

 fabric from spoliation, she left off working, and fled from busli to 

 bush, for the express purpose of teasing him. Soon afterwards, 

 having made matters up again, the female returned to her 

 labour, and the male sang for several minutes in the most 



