CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Foreword by Dr. W. Eagle Clarke lo 



Introduction H 



PART I. 



CHAPTER I. 

 Structure of Birds. — Skeleton — ^Feathers — Wings 



Wing Expanses — Beaks 13 



CHAPTER 11. 

 Birds' Nests. — Original Nest Builders — Swallow's change 



of habit — Decorative Sense in Birds 26 



CHAPTER III. 

 Birds' Eggs. — Painting of the egg — ^Diversity in shape — 

 Music of the Moon — Size of eggs in relation to 

 that of parents — ^Erythrism in eggs 37 



CHAPTER IV. 



Movement in Birds. — ^How birds walk and fly — Move- 

 ments pecuHar to pairing season — ^Evolution of 

 Movement — Movements of birds under water — 

 Sub -aquatic movements of dipper — Birds as 

 himters — Starlings as flycatchers — Birds as 

 anglers — ^Different methods — Gaimets, auks, 

 skuas, herons, kingfishers — Gulls dropping 

 mussels from a height 43 



CHAPTER V. 

 Altitude and Speed of Flight. — ^The condor — Gatke's 

 views — Evidence of astronomers — Col. Meinertz- 

 hagen's opinions — Relative rates of speed — Dis- 

 credited estimates — ^Notes by Professor Ne\^i;on 

 and Mr. Tegetmeier — Dr. Eagle Clarke's dictum 

 — Col. Meinertzhagen's estimates made by means 

 of theodolites, with table of velocities of normal 

 migratory flight 58 



