66 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



inhabitants. It is curious that even the initiated eye is con- 

 stantly being deceived by these dome-topped structures, since 

 at a distance they closely resemble native huts. The nesting- 

 chambers themselves are warmly lined with feathers." 



Here must we abruptly end our exhibits of the intelligence of 

 a few humble little birds as fairly representative of the wonder- 

 ful mental ability and mechanical skill so common in the ranks 

 of the birds of the world. It would be quite easy to write a 

 volume on The Architectural Skill of Birds! 



Now, let us look for a moment into the house-building in- 

 telligence and skill of some of the lower tribes of men. Out of 

 the multitude of exhibits available I will limit myself to three, 

 widely separated. In the first place, the habitations of the 

 savage and barbaric tribes are usually the direct result of their 

 own mental and moral deficiencies. The Eskimo is an ex- 

 ception, because his home and its location are dictated by the 

 hard and fierce circumstances which dictate to him what he 

 must do. Often he is compelled to move as his food supply 

 moves. The Cliff-Dweller Indian of the arid regions of the 

 Southwest was forced to cliff-dwell, in order to stave off ex- 

 terminarion by his enemies. Under that spur he became a 

 wonderful architect and engineer. 



For present purposes we are concerned with three savage 

 tribes which might have been rich and prosperous agriculturists 

 or herdsmen had they developed sufficient intelligence to see 

 the wisdom of regular industry. 



Consider first the lowest of three primitive tribes that 

 inhabit the extreme southern point of Patagonia, whose real 

 estate holdings front on the Strait of Magellan. That region 

 is treeless, rocky, windswept, cold and inhospitable. I can 

 not imagine a place better fitted for an anarchist penal colony. 

 North of it lie plains less rigorous, and by degrees less sterile, 

 and finally there are lands quite habitable by cattle-and-crop- 

 growing men. 



But those three tribes elect to stick to the worst spot in 

 South America. 



