CONTENTS. 



PA OH 



Chapter VII. Vultures — Loathsome Feeders — Strength of. — Snake- 

 eater — Mode of killing Serpents. — Hawks — Character of. — Hawk- 

 ing for Bustards — Value of — Iceland Falcons much prized. — 

 Falconry in former days. — Contest with Herons — Modes of Catch- 

 ing. — The Sparrow-hawk— Anecdotes. — The Glede, or Kite. — 

 Herons.— Food of the Hawk Tribe — Their Disposition. — The 

 Hawk sacred to the Egyptians and Turks no 



Chapter VIII. Owls— Superstitions respecting — Short-eared— The 

 Great Snowy Owl— "White Owl— Mode of Feeding — Attachment 

 to Young — Used in Bird-catching. — Burrowing Owl. — Deutiros- 

 tral, Notch-billed Birds. — Shrikes— Mode of Feeding — Nests of — 

 Used in taking Falcons. — Puff -backed Shrike. — Thrush Genus — 

 Instinctive Habits of Feeding — Anecdote— Thrush and young 

 Cuckoo. — Fly-catchers. — Cotinga. — Tanagers — Beauty of. — Serra- 

 tirostral, or Serrated Beaks.— Hornbills. — Pleuirostral, Strong- 

 billed. — Grakles. — Paradise Birds 144 



CHAPTER IX. Ravens— Occasionally desert their Young— Predacious 

 Habits — Sagacity — Various Anecdotes.— Crows and Books— Char- 

 acters of each.— Tame Crow. — Meetings, or Councils, of Crows, 

 Herons, Magpies, &c. — "Whether Rooks are beneficial or injurious 

 to the Farmer. — Hard Winters favourable to Insects. — Rookeries. 

 — Red-legged Crow. — Jackdaws. — Jays and Magpies . . . 178 



Chapter X. Passerine Order continued. — Conirostres, Corneal Beaks. 

 —Orioles. — Starlings — Habits of. — Finch Tribe. — Goldfinch — 

 Anecdotes of — Nests rapidly completed — Curious Nests in Africa. 

 — Age of small Birds. — Canary Birds— Trade in.— Bullfiuches, 

 Piping — How trained — Boldness of — Affectionate and Social Habits 

 of — Also of Linnets. — Use of small Birds in destroying Insects . 207 



Chapter XI. Subulirostres, Awl-shaped Bills.— Manakins— Curious 

 Nests of.— Tomtits. — "Wagtails. — Redstarts.— Robins, &c— Migra- 

 tion of this Tribe. — Nightingales — "Whether they return to same 

 Nests— Ear for Music. — Night-Singing Birds. — Planirostres, Flat- 

 billed. — SwallowTribe — "Whether occasionally Dormant, Instances 

 of — Migration of. — Insects, Number devoured by Swallows. — 

 Spiders, high flights of.— Curious Nests of Swallows— Courage of 227 



