122 
NATURE S CRAFTSMEN 
“ He is a cement worker, lad, of the most skil¬ 
ful type. His cement is a thread-like glue drawn 
from a special gland as it is needed. It is ideal 
for the purpose of cementing together bits of 
leaves, water plants, and grasses, to form the tiny 
muff-like nest, which looks very much as though 
it might have been fashioned by some bird. But 
where is the bird that would build on the sandy 
bottom of some lake or sluggish stream? 
“ The most important part of the structure is, 
of course, the bottom or foundation of the nest, 
and the stickleback goes at it with great care. 
He bustles about fetching material in his mouth 
until he has collected quite a heap. Then he be¬ 
gins to lay his grasses and leaves crisscross, ce¬ 
menting them together as they are laid. By and 
by, he has covered a floor space as large as de¬ 
sired. It looks frail. No doubt a sudden squall 
could easily start it from its moorings, and the 
stickleback takes no chances. Quietly he begins 
to gather tiny stones and pebbles, strewing them 
over the floor to hold it down. This done he pro¬ 
ceeds to lay another floor of leaves and grass on 
top of the first, carefully making all fast as be¬ 
fore. Sometimes there are three or four layers 
of flooring, perhaps more, each carefully 
weighted with rocks which are cemented tightly 
into their positions. 
“ When the floor is completed to the work- 
