nerally starts off on its winter pilgrimage to warm
countries; but the old storks always return in the spring to the same
nest that they left, while the young ones, if they choose to join that
community at all, must make nests for themselves. Although these nests
are nothing but rude structures of sticks and twigs, made apparently
in the roughest manner, each pair of storks evidently thinks that
there is no home like its own.

The stork is a very kind parent, and is, in fact, more careful of the
welfare of its young than most birds; but it never goes to the length
of surrendering its homestead to its children.

The young storks will be carefully nurtured and reared by their
parents; when they grow old enough they will be taught to fly, and
encouraged in the most earnest way to strengthen and develop their
wings by exercise; and, in the annual expedition to the south, they
are not left to themselves, but are conducted to the happy lands where
all good storks spend their winters. But the young storks cannot have
everything. If they wish to live in the nest in which they were born,
they must wait until their parents are dead.

It may be that we have now seen enough of birds' nests, and so I will
not show you any more.

The next nest which we will examine--

"But I thought you were not going to show us any more birds' nests!"
you will say.

That is true. I did say so, and this next one is not a bird's nest but
a fish's nest.

It is probably that very few of you, if any, ever saw a fish's nest;
but there certainly are such things.

[Illustration]

The fish which builds them is called the Stickleback. It is a little
fish, but it knows how to make a good nest. The male stickleback is
the builder, and when he thinks of making a nest he commences by
burrowing a hole in the mud at the bottom of the stream where he
lives. When with his nose and body he has made this hole large enough,
he collects bits of grass, roots, and weeds, and builds his nest over
this hole, which seems to be dug for the purpose of giving security to
the structure. The grass and other materials are fastened to the mud
and earth by means of a sticky substance, which exudes from the body
of the fish, and every part of the nest is stuck together and
interlaced so that it will not be disturbed by the currents. There are
generally two openings to this nest, which is something like a lady's
muff, although, of course, it is by no means so smooth and reg