34* 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
prose panegyric of Washington Irving in “ Wolfert’s Roost,” have served to 
immortalize poor little bob-o 1 -link , whose numbers are so rapidly diminishing 
under the fire and nets of those who fail to appreciate the beauties and charms 
of nature. 
SINGULAR NEST BUILDING BIRDS. 
The beautiful raiment with which God has clothed the birds, and the gift 
of charming melody with which He has endowed their voices, may well excite 
our admiration, but to these gifts have been added other characteristics which 
excite our wonder, until we marvel at the diversity of attributes which distin¬ 
guish bird life. We have already described 
some of the curious phases of feathered 
creation, but it is appropriate here to group 
together a few of the birds distinguished 
especially for tlieii ingenuity in nest-build¬ 
ing, since by so doing we shall be the 
better able to comprehend the wonders dis¬ 
played in bird architecture. We will find 
many of the trades' and professions repre¬ 
sented by feathered mechanics, such as ma¬ 
sons, weavers, tailors, cooks, sextons, preach¬ 
ers, officers, criers, binders, gardeners, etc. 
The Parti-colored or Golden-crested 
Wren (Regulns cristatus ), of England, is 
scarcely larger than a humming-bird, but 
wonderfully courageous, and cunning as 
well. In an aviary, where two of these 
were kept with a hundred varieties of birds, 
they made themselves masters of the largest 
and obtained more than their share of food 
by adopting many adroit devices, the most 
curious being to sit upon the head of some 
larger ^bird, like the jackdaw, and seize the 
food at every peck the daw would make. 
It was certainly a comical sight, but scarcely 
more so than that of seeing them invariably 
go to roost by nestling in the feathers of 
the larger birds. 
The nest of this beautiful little bird is exquisitely woven of various soft 
substances, and is generally suspended to a trunk, where it is well sheltered 
from the weather. Says Woods: “ I have often found their nests, and in every instance 
have noticed that they are shaded by leaves, the projecting portion of a branch, or 
some such protection. In one case the nest that was suspended to a fir-branch 
was almost invisible beneath a heavy bunch of large cones that drooped over 
it, and forced the bird to gain admission by creeping along the branch to which 
the nest was suspended. The edifice is usually supported by three branches, 
one above and one at either side. The nest is usually lined with feathers, and 
contains a considerable number of eggs, generally from six to ten. These eggs 
are hardly bigger than peas, and extremely delicate.” 
