NATURALISTS CABINET* 



Habits Ineniousness. 



These birds begin to appear about the 16th of 

 April : and generally for some time pay no atten- 

 tion to the business of nidi h* cation ; but play and 

 sport about, either to recruit from the fatigue of 

 their journey,, or else that their blood may recover 

 its true tone and texture, after having been so 

 long benumbed by the severities of winter. 

 About the middle of May, if the weather be fine, 

 they then begin to think of providing a mansion 

 for their family. 



As the martin often builds against the eave of 

 a house, the side of a cliff over the sea, or a per-> 

 pendicular wall, without any projecting ledge un- 

 der, its utmost efforts are necessary to get the 

 first foundation firmly fixed, so as to carry safely 

 the superstructure. On this occasion the bird 

 not only clings with its claws, but partly supports 

 itself by strongly inclining its tail against the 

 wall, making that a fulcrum; and thus fixed, it 

 plasters the materials into the face of the brick 

 or stone. But that this work may not, while 

 soft, incline down by its o\vn weight, the pro- 

 vident architect has the prudence and forbear- 

 ance not to proceed tofr fast ; but by building 

 only in the morning and dedicating the rest of 

 the day to food and amusement, gives it sufficient 

 time to dry and harden. About half an inch 

 seems to be a sufficient layer for a day. By this 

 method, in about ten or twelve days, a hemisphe- 

 rical nest is formed, with a small aperture to- 



