206 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



The Flamingo, which lives in marshes, cannot 

 place its eggs on the earth nor in the trunks of trees, 

 which are often absent from its domain. It builds a 

 cone of mud, which dries and becomes very resistant, 

 and it prepares at the summit an excavation open to 

 the air; this is the nest. The female broods by 

 sitting with her legs hanging over the sides of the 

 hillock on which her little family prospers above the 

 waters and the damp soil. 



A Perch in the Danube also manufactures a dwell- 

 ing of dried earth. It gives it the form of an elliptic 

 cupola, and prepares a semicircular opening for 

 entry and exit. 



The bird which shows itself the most skilful mason 

 is probably the Oven-Bird {^Furnarius rufus) of 

 Brazil and La Plata. Its name is owing to the form 

 of the nest which it constructs for brooding, and which 

 has the appearance of an oven. It is very skilful and 

 knows how to build a dome of clay without scaffolding, 

 which is not altogether easy. Having chosen for the 

 site of its labours a large horizontal branch, it brings 

 to it a number of little clay balls more or less com- 

 bined with vegetable debris, works them altogether, 

 and makes a very uniform floor, which is to serve as a 

 platform for the rest of the work. When this is done, 

 and while the foundation is drying, the bird arranges 

 on it a circular border of mortar slightly inclined out- 

 wards. This becomes hard; it raises it by a new 

 application, this time inclined inwards. All the other 

 layers which will be placed above this will also be 

 inclined towards the interior of the chamber. As the 

 structure rises, the circle which terminates it above 

 becomes more and more narrow. Soon it is quite 

 small, and the animal, closing it with a little ball of 



