PREFACE 



It is a somewhat remarkable fact that notwithstanding 

 the extreme popularity of the subject of Birds' Nests, 

 no book has yet been published entirely devoted to 

 these beautiful and curious objects. And yet their 

 study — the science of Caliology — is one of the most 

 fascinating branches of Ornithology, perhaps more 

 intimately connected with those difficult problems 

 and questions relating to the mental attributes of 

 what man in his ignorance is pleased to consider 

 the " lower animals," than any other. Indeed, there 

 are many of us who would fain deny the existence 

 of any reasoning faculties whatever in birds, classing 

 their expression in a thousand different ways, all 

 under the vague, meaningless and ridiculous term 

 " Instinct." 



A bird's nest is the most graphic mirror of a bird's 

 mind. It is the most palpable example of those 

 reasoning, thinking qualities with which these crea- 

 tures are unquestionably very highly endowed. 

 Evidence of this reasoning power confronts the 

 student of Birds' Nests as he gazes upon each pro- 

 creant cradle, no matter how crude on the one 

 hand, or how elaborate on the other it may chance 



