336 THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
feathered warbler, by an instinctive faculty, to rival 
the laboured efforts of the most skilful artizan. 
The goldfinch, linnet, canary, and humming birds, 
manifest their skill in felt-making; the chaffinch 
pursues the same trade, in the formation of its habi- 
tation, but manufacturing a superior article, — for as 
cambric is superior to cotton, so is the felt-work of 
the chaffinch superior to that of the preceding birds. 
This ingenious little artizan chooses the finest 
wool as being the best for closely uniting with other 
materials ; and to shape and strengthen her nest, she 
binds it round with grass stems : thus we see nature 
imitated by art, as the hat -maker, for a similar pur- 
pose, binds the rim of his hat. The chaffinch also 
secures her habitation against any unforeseen accident, 
by manufacturing bands of moss, felted with wool, 
which she winds round the branches of the tree that 
she has chosen for the site of her future residence. 
The bank swallow is regarded as a miner, and its 
method of preparing the ground to receive the nest 
is truly amusing. It may be seen with its sharp 
claws clinging to the surface of a dry sand bank, 
where it intends to build, and striking into the sand 
