"Yes; and I saw, when I was in the West Indies, another kind of starling[6] which will cut leaves into a shape like the quarter of an orange-rind, and sew the whole very neatly to the under side of a banana-leaf, so as to make one side of the nest. But, boys, there is another most beautiful little bird, which is called the tailor-bird, because it sews so well.[7] It first picks out a plant with large leaves, then it gathers cotton from the shrub, and with the help of its fine long bill and slender little feet it spins this cotton into a thread, and then using its bill for a needle, it will sew these large leaves together to hide its nest, and sew them very neatly, too." "Why, dear Uncle Philip, this is the most wonderful tailor of them all." "He is, indeed: but, my children, what do we learn from all that I have been telling you? Who made these little creatures with such curious skill, and taught them to work so well? It was the same God who made us; for such wonderful things never came from what people call _chance_. Chance, boys, never made any thing: and how very wise he must be to form such nice little workmen; and how very good thus to teach them how to take care of themselves. The Bible says, truly, that '_his tender mercies are over all his works_.' And I think, boys, we may learn another thing: it is, not to be so very proud of what we know; for I rather suppose that we shall often find that the lower creatures around us understood many of our trades long before we found them out." "Yes, Uncle Philip, it is likely that these little fellows you have been telling us of this morning were the first tailors in the world." "Very likely, very likely indeed, boys. But now I must bid you good morning; for here comes our good clergyman, and I am going with him to see a poor sick woman." "Good morning, Uncle Philip; we will come again on Saturday." FOOTNOTES: [1] Megachile centuncularis. [2] Osmia papaveris. [3] Reaumur. [4] Tinea sarcitella. [5] Icterus mutatus. [6] Icterus bonana. [7] Sylvia sutoria. CONVERSATION IV. _Uncle Philip tells the Children about the first Paper in the World, made by Wasps._ "Ah, boys! how do you do? This is Saturday, and I have been expecting to see you come for some time." "Why, Uncle Philip, we should have been here sooner, but we went round by the old mill; because we thought that perhaps we might find in some of the old timbers, holes bored by some of those industrious little carpenters you told us about." "Well; and did you find any?" "No; but we found something else, which we have brought to show you: and we have been talking about it all the way. We have not discovered any new _tools_ among the animals, but we think we have found out a _trade_ that some of them work at; and we wish you to tell us if we are right." "Oh, that I will do, with pleasure, if I can. What is the trade that you think you have discovered?"