CONTENTS. XI 



Great variety of the nests of birds Beautiful nests of the gold- 

 finch Sufferings of the swallow Maternal care of a little blue 

 tomtit industry The raven scared from its nest faculty of 

 discovering its food universally found duration of life super- 

 stitions wearing out duration of animal life aided or injured 

 by man An old horse Life of man The crossbill breeds in 

 England The rook suffers in cold and dry seasons his life in 

 the year 1825 various habits of detects grubs in the earth his 

 habits in the spring associations sense of smelling migra- 

 tion of birds . . . Page 163185 



The magpie its nest its habits a plunderer of the farm-yard 

 its natural affection The jay conduct of the old bird winter 

 habits its feathers The shrike, or butcher-bird its nest its 

 young kills other birds a sentinel its mischievous disposition 

 The stormy petrel its habits The wryneck its habits Dis- 

 appearance of certain birds their numbers annually diminishing 

 The nightingale migrating birds Rooks love long avenues 

 The starling, or stare great flights social habits breeding a 

 stray bird actions before roosting congregate very attentive 

 to their young journeyings Laborious life of birds The red- 

 start The brown starling, or solitary thrush its habits a very 

 dusky bird The swift The sparrow-hawk and kestrel cap- 

 ture by intimidation single out individuals Variableness of 

 seasons Early seasons bring rain Blooming of the white thorn ' 

 Conduct of migrating birds The butcher bird The gray fly- 

 catcher The thrush instance of affection motives of action 

 utility in a garden The sparrow domestic habits manners 

 increase destruction great consumers of insects accommo- 

 dating appetite . . . Page 185 213 



Creatures associating with man The common mouse The rat 

 The house-fly Usefulness of animals to man Conduct of man 

 towards animals The wheat- ear its habits conceals its nest 

 with great artifice Country amusements often cruel Supplica- 

 tion for pity The eggs of birds their markings Foolish super- 

 stitions The kite his habits great capture of The blackcap 

 its habits song nest food shyness Habits of our occa- 

 sional visiting birds The pettychaps White throats Willow 



