BR. THEODOR NEtTMAitfN. 148 



and feet only? Hardly. A skillful artist may with 

 twenty delicate and elaborate instruments after many 

 failures produce something which looks like a finch's 

 nest, and which nobody who sees it can distinguish from 

 a real nest built by a bird. Then the artist gets con- 

 ceited and thinks now he is also a finch. Dear friend^ 

 you are far from the mark. For if a real finch should 

 come and examine your work, Just as the master does 

 the piece of his apprentice, he would turn his head a lit- 

 tle aside, wink at you with one eye, and if he could 

 speak like a human being, would say : Dear sir, that is 

 no finch's nest ! I may look at it in whatever way I will, 

 it is no bird's nest at all ! No bird builds so stupidly 

 and awkwardly. I'm sure, you bungler, you did it 

 yourself." 



Indeed, it will not be saying too much if we use the 

 term artists, or at least artisans, in speaking of the won- 

 derful skill with which birds make their homes ; nay, ac- 

 cording to the various forms of this skill, scientists have 

 divided birds into different groups, and speak of cave- 

 dwellers^ platform builders, carpenters, miners or tun- 

 nel diggers, masons, cement manufacturers, basket 

 plaiters, weavers, felt makers, dome builders, tailors, 

 etc. And I should like to take yon through the work- 

 shops of some of these wonderful little workmen and 

 workwomen, so that you may have an opportunity to as- 

 certain if we say too much in calling them artists, and 

 to admire their marvellous skill unsurpassed by any 

 other workers in nature. 



Before we start, let us cast a look at the general feat- 

 ures of this faculty of nest-making, and get a general 

 idea for what purposes, where and how these domiciles 

 are constructed. 



There are other members of the animal kingdom who 

 build nests, e. g., mammals, fishes and insects ; but 

 with birds this ability has reached its highest develop- 



81 



