o52 HilMKS WITHOUT HANDS. 



only ill a rudiiiieutaiy condition. The moss, in foct, was the 

 foundation of the neat, upon which the beautiful walls were 

 intended to be built, just as in the habitation of many other 

 birds there is a foundation of substances more solid than the 

 materials of which the walls are made. 



Into this nest the Capociers were weaving the stolen stores 

 of cotton-wool, working it in a manner that will be presently 

 described. Le Vaillant soon discovered that the legitimate sub- 

 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 in- 

 geniously saved themselves the trouble of collecting, and simply 

 resorted 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, aod 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 tlie female. In order, however, to save tlie 



