233 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE DEFENCE AND SANITATION OF DWELLINGS. 



GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AGAINST POSSIBLE DANGER— SEPAR- 

 ATION OF FEMALES WHILE BROODING — HYGIENIC MEA- 

 SURES OF BEES — PRUDENCE OF BEES — FORTIFICATIONS 

 OF BEES — PRECAUTIONS AGAINST INQUISITIVENESS — 

 LIGHTING UP THE NESTS. 



The building of comfortable dwellings is not the 

 last stage reached by the industry of animals. There 

 are among them some who show genuine skill in 

 rendering them healthy and defending them against 

 invasions from without. 



General precautions against possible danger. — Some 

 animals show, even during the construction of the nest, 

 extreme prudence in preventing its site from being 

 discovered. Several authors refer to the stratagem 

 of the Magpie, who begins several nests at the same 

 time ; but only one is intended to receive the brood, 

 and that only is completed. The aim of the others 

 is merely to distract attention. It is around these latter 

 that the bird shows ostentatious activity, while it 

 works at the real nest only for a few hours during 

 the day, in the morning and evening. 



The Crane takes equally ingenious precautions in 

 order that its constant presence at the same spot 

 may not arouse suspicion. It never comes or goes 



