viii CONTENTS. 



PACK 



fish. Siren. Proteus. Allied Forms. Water-Newts. The Sala- 

 mander. Pliny's Account of it. Incombustible. Surinam Toad. 

 Common Toad. Superstitions Respecting it. Services to Mankind. 

 A Domestic Pet. Common Frog. Its Terror of the Snake. A 

 Frog-Eulogy. Edible Frog. Introduction of Frogs into Ireland. 

 Tree-Frogs. Croakers and Croaking. Toad-in-Hole Question. 

 Ancient Frog Remedies. The Labyrinthodon. An Argument up- 

 set . 161 



CHAPTER IX. 



OUB FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



St. James's Park Water-Fowl. Assistance Wanted. Graceful Car- 

 riage of the Swan. The Hooper. Dying Swan Song Story. 

 Black Swan. Importation of English Birds into Australia. Jack- 

 ass Penguin. Probable Extinction of the Great Auk. The Swal- 

 low Tribe. A Railway Colony. Hybernating Swallows. The 

 Cuckoo. Behaviour of Young Cuckoo. Pliny's Account of it. 

 Food. Kingfisher. Dispute as to its Nesting. Mr. Gould's Dis- 

 covery. An Operative Ornithologist. Superstitions. Crow Fa- 

 mily. Magpie is a Favourite in Norway and Sweden. Mis- 

 chievous Propensities. Nesting. Jack at Church. Song of Birds. 

 Mr. Barrington's Experiments. A Talking Canary. Love and 

 Rivalry. Cock Robin and Jenny Wren. Pugnacity of Robiu. 

 The Dipper. Does it Walk or Swim Under Water? The House- 

 sparrow. Its Impudence. Affection for its Young. Feeds a 

 Caged Canary. Hanged at its own Door. Destruction of Small 

 Birds . 189 



CHAPTER X. 



" LIVE LIONS," PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 



The Good Time Coming. Death of a Favourite. The Regent's Park 

 Zoological Gardens. Fish House. Pike. The Tench. Fishing 

 Frog. Musical Fish of the East. Mandarin Duck. Story of a 

 Devoted Couple. Difficult to Obtain. Secretary Bird and Curas- 

 sows. Tongue of Flamingo. Reptile House. Keeper Killed by 

 Cobra. Incubatioof Python. Gigantic Newt of Japan. Scheu- 

 chzer's Homo Dilmii Testis.The Two-toed Sloth. Great Ant- 

 eater. Australia a Laud of Contrarieties. Satin Bower Bird. 

 Brush Turkey. Incubation Extraordinary. Settler's Clock. 

 Bell Bird. Razor Grinder. Coach- Whip Bird. Elephant. 

 Mooruk. Strnthoid Birds. Great Extinct Birds of New Zealand. 

 Egg from Madagascar. The Eland . . . .217 



