CHAPTER VII 



THEIR REPRODUCTION (NESTS) 



The unique character of birds' nests — The architecture of 

 RatitDe Birds — The nests of the Kingfishers — The Horn- 

 bills — The Swifts — Edible nests — The nests of the 

 Humming-Birds — Nests of the Passeriformes — Great 

 variety in the nests of the Passeres — Variation of nest- 

 type in the same species — Uniformity in the nests of 

 species — The architecture of the Wrens — Of the Swal- 

 lows — Of the Finches — Of the Starlings_, Shrikes, Wax- 

 wings, Orioles, and Goldcrests — Nests of the Tropical 

 Oscines — In the Timeliidae — The Tailor Bird — Nests 

 of the Bulbuls, Cuckoo Shrikes, Drongos, and Green- 

 lets— Of the Birds of Paradise— Of the Sun-Birds— Of 

 the Flower-peckers and Sugar Birds — Of the Wood 

 Warblers and Tanagers — Of the Weaver Birds — Of the 

 Ox Birds and Hang-nests — Of the Broadbills — Of the 

 Pittas — Of the Tyrant Birds — Of the Cotingas and 

 Plant-cutters — The nest of the Oven Birds — The archi- 

 tecture in the Wood Hewer family — Of the Ant Thrushes 

 — Of the Lyre Birds — Nest of the Hammer-Head — 

 Nests of the Mound Birds — Of the Brush Turkeys — 

 Of certain Coursers — Of the Rails, Ducks, and Geese 

 — Of the Flamingoes — The utility of nests — The nest 

 in relation to the colour of the plumage — Instinct or 

 imitation in nest-building. 



The beautiful songs, the curious cries and sounds, 



the varied posturings, antics, gestures, and aerial 



gambols of birds, described in the previous chapter, 



243 



