44 THE LONG-TAILED TIT 



It is said of the crowned hornbill, that if 

 an untoward accident befalls the male during 

 the period of incubation, the neighbours (horn- 

 bills) attend to the wants of the widow and 

 orphans, and let them out in due course. 



A British species, the Nuthatch (Sitta 

 Europsea), also has this habit of plastering up 

 the entrance to her nest when the opening is 

 larger than the circumference of her body. 

 The intention is the same, viz., to keep out 

 vermin of a predatory nature. 



As a purely natural structure a bird's nest 

 is a wonderfully beautiful object. Let us 

 examine some of these " homes without 

 hands." Take, for instance, the nest of the 

 Long-tailed Tit (Parus caudatus), and observe 

 how this exquisite fabric is bedecked with 

 lichens which match the surroundings, and 

 how the interior is lined with the softest 

 feathers in order to preserve the fragile little 

 eggs from being crushed against any chance 

 hard substance contained in the inner walls of 

 the nest. The whole is admirable ; — one of 

 nature's masterpieces. Now look at the 

 builders themselves and note the diminutive 

 beak, the only tool employed in raising this 

 marvellous structure whose walls are com- 

 posed of moss and lichen interwoven with 

 spider's web. Although it is a comparatively 



