xii Contents 



CHAPTER v 



THE PLAYING-GROUNDS OF BIRDS 



PAGE 



The meeting-places of the Birds of Paradise The drawing-room 

 of the Argus Pheasant The assemblies of the Cocks of the 

 Rock Bower-builders Gardeners 117 



CHAPTER VI 

 THE NESTING OF BIRDS 



The Orders and Families of Birds, with their mode of nesting 



General remarks thereon Guillemots and their eggs . .146 



CHAPTER VII 

 WONDERFUL NESTS 



Birds which make no nest The breeding of the Hornbills 

 Hoopoes Wood-Hoopoes and Cobras Kingfishers Mud- 

 nest builders' Hoatzins Flamingoes Swallows and Martins 

 Oven-bird Cemented nests Edible Swiftlets Crested 

 Swifts 168 



CHAPTER VIII 



WONDERFUL NESTS (continued} 



Stick-nest Builders Hammer-heads Fire -wood Gatherers 

 Moss-nest Builders Felt-nest Builders Penduline Tits 

 Rock Warblers Purse-nest Builders Weaver-birds Grass- 

 Warblers Humming-birds as Engineers Sun-birds 

 Salvin's Swift Assemblages of Albatrosses and Terns . 207 



CHAPTER IX 



THE COURTSHIP AND DANCING OF BIRDS 



Superiority of the Female Hemipodes Painted Snipes Phala- 

 ropes Dancing of the Black Grouse The " Spel " of the 

 Capercailie The " showing-off " of the Great Bustard The 

 Bustard's pouch The Ruffs display The Crane's per- 

 formance The Rook in love The dance of the Jacana The 

 " Bailador" in "song and dance" 229 



