Introductory Chapter. 



not only be cradled in soft comfort, but kept alive by her warmth. 

 So the he-bird, supposing it to be a linnet, brings her some 

 horse-hair : it is stiff and hard ; nevertheless, it is proper for the 

 purpose, and serves as a lower stratum of the nest — a sort of 

 elastic mattress : he brings her hemp ; it is cold, but it serves 

 for the same purpose. Then comes the covering and the lining; 

 and for this nothing but the soft silky fibre of certain plants, 

 wool or cotton, or, better still, the down from her own breast, 

 will satisfy her. It is interesting, he says, to watch the he-bird's 

 skilful and furtive search for materials ; he is afraid if he see you 

 watching, that you may discover the track to his nest ; and, in 

 order to mislead you, he takes a different road back to it. You 

 may see him following the sheep to get a little lock oi wool, or 

 alighting in the poultry yard on the search for dropped feathers. 

 If the farmer's wife chance to leave her wheel, whilst spinning in 

 the porch, he steals in for a morsel of flax from the distaff. He 

 knows what is the right kind of thing ; and let him be in whatever 

 country he may, he selects that which answers the purpose ; and 

 the nest which is built is that of the linnet all the world over. 



Again he tells us, that there are other birds which, instead ot 

 building, bring up their young underground, in little earth cradles 

 which they have prepared for them. Of building-birds, he 

 thinks the queerest must be the flamingo, which lays her eggs on 

 a pile of mud which she has raised above the flooded earth, and, 

 standing erect all the time, hatches them under her long legs. It 

 does seem a queer, uncomfortable way; but if it answer its end, we 

 need not object to it. Of carpenter-birds, he thinks the thrush is 

 the most remarkable ; other writers say the woodpecker. The 

 shore-birds plait their nests, not very skilfully it is true, but 



