INTRODUCTORY 33 



tionally elaborate. In many cases the male bird 

 conveys much of the material to the female, the latter 

 working it into the nest; in other cases both sexes 

 work at the structure with almost equal industry. 

 In not a few cases the male never comes near the 

 nest at all, and therefore can take no share in the 

 task of building it. This is especially the case with 

 polygamous birds and certain Ducks. On the other 

 hand there are species in which both sexes seem to 

 be equally gifted in the matter of architectural skill. 

 The male Little Grebe and Moorhen may often be 

 observed to build a complete nest unaided by its 

 mate ; and popular supposition, at any rate, credits 

 the male Wren with amusing himself by nest- 

 building. 



Perhaps it may be as well to devote the concluding 

 pages of the present chapter to a few remarks relat- 

 ing to the collecting and preserving of birds' nests. 

 For various reasons these objects, exceptionally inter- 

 esting as they may be, are somewhat unsatisfactory 

 ones to collect. Not only do they occupy a large 

 amount of space, but they are very fragile, and even 

 with the most careful usage are apt soon to lose their 

 shape. Then the materials of which they are com- 

 posed not only wither but their colours fade, and 

 thus a large portion of their beauty vanishes. Moths 

 and some other insects are also very troublesome, 

 and have ever to be carefully guarded against. These 

 c 



