vl 
OUR BIRD ALLIES, 
jar—A self-acting trap—Cry of the bird—Its domestic 
arrangements—SWALLOWS—The common Swallow— 
Its wonderful powers of flight—Food of the bird— 
How to distinguish the Swallow — The Swift—A 
feathered Mercury—Uses of the tail—Duration of its 
stay in Great Britain—Supposed powers of hiberna- 
tion—The Martin—Its fondness for human com- 
panionship — How the nest is made — The Sand- 
martin—Its sagacity—Birds as excavators—Value of 
the Swallow and its kin ... ase ite s1s 1 Page 
CHAPTER TY, 
WARBLERS. 
WARBLERS—The Whitethroat—Its occasional depreda- 
tions—The gardener and the Whitethroat—Food of 
the bird—Its nest and eggs—The Chiffchaff—Its ser- 
vices to man—The Willow Warbler—A_ well-con- 
cealed nest—The Wood Warbler—Its fondness for 
‘“leaf-rollers”—The Nightingale — Prévost-Paradol’s 
testimony—The Nightingale as a robber—Song of the 
bird— Zot homines, tot sententie—Shakespeare as an 
ornithologist—The Robin—The influence of super- 
stition—A just conclusion drawn from false premises 
—Voracity of the bird—Prévost-Paradol again—The 
Robin in the garden—A sociable bird—Earthworms 
and the Robin—WNest of the bird — Uncalled-for 
jealousy and its results ... ae ee pige 
CHAPTER V. 
TITMICE AND THRUSHES. 
T1TMicE—The Great Tit—Its cannibalistic practices— 
The Great Tit as a fruit-eater—Its nest and eggs— 
The Blue Tit—Its valuable services— Does the Blue 
Tit destroy blossoms ?>—Nesting arrangements of the 
bird—The Long-tailed Tit—Its. wonderful architec- 
tural skill—Number of eggs—A crowded dwelling— 
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