64 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST, 
these birds form their nest only of the Spanish 
moss, instead of the warmer materials often used, 
and build it so as to be freely ventilated by the 
air. They are careful, moreover, to place it on 
the north-east side of the tree. On the other 
hand, should they proceed as far as Pennsyl- 
vania or New York, their nests would be com- 
posed of the softest, warmest substances; the 
intense cold, which sometimes succeeds the fre- 
quent chuuzes of the atmosphere in those places, 
rendering such caution necessary for the preserva- 
tion of the brood. 'l'wo singular instances of the 
capacity of birds for architecture were met with 
by Mr. Gould, in the bower bird and the spotted 
bower bird of Australia, which build ‘“ bower- 
like structures for the purpose of a playing 
ground or hall of assembly.” The bower of the 
latter birds is considerably longer than that of 
the first, more resembling an avenue. Having 
an external coating of twigs, it is lined with tall 
leaves so contrived as to met atthe top. Paved 
with shells and stones, these enticing little habit- 
ations are adorned ‘also with brightly coloured 
feathers. 
Equally interesting is the habitation of the 
tailor bird, so minutely described in that re- 
pository of rare and curious information, the 
Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. A 
nest was found woven stoutly of cotton, thickly 
