Where Birds build 261 



and occult science of the healthy and unhealthy places of 

 residence — and seem to select localities in accordance with 

 the laws of this magical interpretation of nature. The 

 sparrows, by preference, choose the southern side of a 

 house for their nests. This is very noticeable on old 

 thatched houses, where one slope of the roof happens to 

 face the north, and another the south. On the north side 

 the thatch has been known to last thirty years without 

 renewal — it decays so slowly. The moss, however, grows 

 thickly on that side, and if not removed would completely 

 cover it. Moss prefers the shade ; and so in the woodlands 

 the meadows on the north or shady side of the copses are 

 often quite overgrown with moss, which is pleasant to walk 

 on, but destroys the herbage. But on the south side of 

 the roof, the rain coming from that quarter, the wind and 

 sun cause the thatch to rapidly deteriorate, so that it re- 

 quires to be constantly repaired. 



Now, instead of working their holes into the northern 

 slope, sheltered from wind and rain, nine out of ten of the 

 sparrows make their nests on the south, and, of course, by 

 pulling out the straw still further assist the decay of the 

 thatch there. The influence of light seems to be traceable 

 in this ; and it does occur whether other birds that use 

 trees and bushes for their nests may not really be guided 

 in their selection by some similar rule. The trees and 

 bushes they select to us look much the same as others ; but 

 the birds may none the less have some reasons of their 

 own. And as certain localities, as previously observed, 

 are great favourites with them and others are deserted, 

 possibly Feng-shui may have something to do with that 

 also. 



The nomadic tribes that live in tents, and wander over 

 thousands of miles in the East, at first sight seem to roam 



