again until assured of safety. The trap, however, is the ordinary means of destruction. This is made of iron, and is set in such a manner that as soon as the animal is caught its struggles cause the trap to fall into the water, dragging after it the Musquash, which is soon drowned. In its subterranean home the Musquash lays up large stores of provisions, and in the habitation have been found turnips, parsnips, carrots, and even maize. All the roots had been dug out of the soil, and the maize had been bitten off close to the ground. The Musquash is not a large animal, the length of its head and body being only fourteen inches. I have in my collection a curious bag or pouch made from the skin of the Musquash by a very simple process. The animal has been laid on its back, and the skin divided transversely across the lower part of the abdomen. The body has then been gradually turned out of the skin, all the limbs removed except the paws, and the skull also taken away. The inside of the skin is then dried, and prepared in some ingenious manner so that it serves as a convenient pouch, the slit across the abdomen forming the entrance, the tail acting as a handle for suspension, and the feet dangling as ornaments. For this curious specimen I am indebted to Lieutenant Pusey, R. N. CHAPTER XVI. BUILDING BIRDS. THE OVEN BIRD and its place in ornithology-Its general habits-Nest of the Oven Bird-Curious materials and historical parallel-The specimens in the British Museum-The internal architecture of the nest-Division into chambers-The Pied Grallina—The specimens at the Zoological Gardens— Materials and form of the nest-Boldness of the bird-The SONG THRUSH and its nest-The BLACKBIRD and its clay-lined nests-Supposed reasons for the lining-The FAIRY MARTIN-Locality, shape, and materials of the nestSocial habits of the bird-How the nest is built-The RUFOUS-NECKED SWALLOW -Locality and abundance of its nests-Curious habit of the bird-Audubon's account-The RUFOUS-BELLIED SWALLOW-Supplementary nest-How the bird builds-Popular superstition and its uses-The HOUSE MARTIN-Material of its nest-Favourite localities--Ingenuity of the Martin-Adaptation to circumstances-Parasitic intruders, their number, dimensions, and tenacity of lifeThe SWALLOW-Distinction between its nest and that of the Martin-Why called the Chimney Swallow-TALLEGALLA, or BRUSH TURKEY-The illustration explained-Various names of the Bird-Its singular and enormous nestHow the eggs are laid and hatched-Egress of the young-Remarkable instinct. AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FOWL-Shape, size, and position of its nests-How the eggs are discovered-LEIPOA or NATIVE PHEASANT-Its mound-nest, and general habits. AMONG the building birds, there is one species which is preeminently superior. Not only is there no equal, but there is no second. This is the OVEN BIRD (Furnarius fuliginosus), which derives its popular name from the shape and material of its nest. The Oven Bird belongs to the family of the Certhida, and is therefore allied to the well-known Creeper of our own country. It is about as large as a lark, and is a bold looking bird, rather slenderly built, and standing very upright. Its colour is warm. brown. It is very active, running and walking very fast, and is much on the wing, though its flights are not of long duration, consisting chiefly of short flittings from bush to bush in search. of insects. It generally haunts the banks of South American rivers, and is a fearless little bird, not being alarmed even at the presence of man. The male has a hard shrill note, and the female has a cry of somewhat similar sound, but much weaker. The chief interest of this bird centres in its nest, which is a truly remarkable example of bird architecture. The material of which it is made is principally mud or clay obtained from the river banks, but it is strengthened and stiffened by the admixture of grass, vegetable fibres, and stems of various plants. The heat of the sun is sufficient to harden it, and when it has been thoroughly dried, it is so strong that it seems more like the handiwork of some novice at pottery than a veritable nest constructed by a bird, the fierce heat of the tropical sun baking the clay nearly as hard as brick. The ordinary shape of the nest may be seen by reference to the illustration, which was drawn from a remarkably fine specimen in the British Museum. It is domed, rounded, and has the entrance in the side. Its walls are fully an inch in thickness, and it looks strong enough to bear rolling about on the ground. This specimen was placed on a branch, but the bird is not very particular as to the locality of its nest, sometimes building it on a branch of a tree, sometimes on a beam in an outhouse, and now and then on the top of palings; generally, however, it is built in the bushes, but without any attempt at concealment. Owing to its dimensions and shape, the nest is extremely conspicuous, and the utter indifference of the bird on this subject is not the least curious part of its history. Strong as is the nest, it is still further strengthened by a peculiarity in the architecture, which is not visible from the exterior. If one of the nests be carefully divided, the observer will see that the interior is even more singular than the outside. Crossing the nest from side to side is a wall or partition, made of the same materials as the outer shell, and reaching nearly to the top of the dome, thus dividing the nest into two chambers, and having also the effect of strengthening the whole structure. The inner chamber is devoted to the work of incubation, and within it is a soft bed of feathers on which the eggs are placed. The female sits upon them in this dark chamber, and the outer room is probably used by her mate. The reader will remember that several instances of such supplementary nests have already been mentioned. The eggs are generally four in number. Both sexes work at the construction of the nest, and seem to find the labour rather long and severe, as they are continually employed in fetching clay, grass, and other materials, or in working them together with their bills. While thus employed they are very jealous of the presence of other birds, and drive them away fiercely, screaming shrilly as they attack the intruder. AUSTRALIA produces the two remarkable birds whose nests are given in the accompanying illustration. The first of these feathered builders is the PIED GRALLINA (Grallina Australis), a bird which has become familiar to the public since its introduction to the Zoological Gardens. A pair of these birds have lived for some time in the Aquarium House, and have always attracted much attention as they fly to and fro in the large inclosure which is dedicated to them. to the dabchicks, kingfishers, wagtails, and other water-loving birds. Owing to the bold contrasts of black and white in their colouring they are very conspicuous, and their restless movements always attract the eye. Although in its shape the nest of the Pied Grallina does not resemble that of the Oven bird, the materials with which it is constructed are almost identical, consisting of mud and clay, in which are interwoven certain sticks, grasses, feathers, and stems. of plants, which serve to bind the clay together, just as cow's hair binds together the plaster on our walls. When looking at these nests, the observer is irresistibly reminded of the old Babylonish bricks, in which the grass and straw still remain, and serve to strengthen the ill-burned clay, which in many cases |