CONTENTS. 



XUl 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS. 



Their Habits — The Gavial and the Tiger— Mode of Seizing their Prey — Their 

 Voice — Their Preference of Human Flesh — Alligator against Alligator — Won- 

 derful Tenacity of Life — Tenderness of the Female Cayman for her Young — 

 The Crocodile of the Nile — Its Longevity — Enemies of the Crocodile — Torpidity 

 of Crocodiles during the Dry Season — Their Awakening from their Lethargy 

 with the First Rains—' Tickling a Crocodile ' .... Page 332 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



TROPICAL BIRD LIFE. 



The Toucan — Its Quarrelsome Character — The Humming-birds — Their wide Range 

 over the New World — Their Habits — Their Enemies — Their Courage — The 

 Cotingas — The Campanero — The Tangaras — The Manakins — The Cock of the 

 Rock — The Troupials — The Baltimore — The Pendulous Nests of the Cassiques 

 — The Mocking-bird — Strange Voices of Tropical Birds — The Coat-Sucker's 

 Wail — The Organista — The Cilgero — The Flamingos — The Scarlet Ibis — 

 The Jabiru — The Roseate Spoon-bill — The Jacana — The Calao — The Sun- 

 birds — The Melithreptes — The Argus — The Peacock — Tropical Waders of the 

 Old World — The African Ibis — The Numidian Crane — Australian Birds — The 

 Lyre Bird — The Birds of Paradise — African Weaving Birds — The Social Gros- 

 beak—The Baya— The Tailor-bird— The Honey Eaters— The Bower-bird— 

 The Talegalla— The Cualama 342 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



TROPICAL BIRDS OF PREY. 



The Condor — His Marvellous Flight — His Cowardice — Various Modes of Cap- 

 turing Condors — Ancient Fables circulated about them — Comparison of the 

 Condor with the Albatross — The Carrion Vultures — The King of the Vultures 

 —Domestication of the Urubu — Its Extraordinary Memory — The Harpy Eagle 

 — Examples of his Ferocity — The Oricou — The Bacha — His Cruelty to the 

 Klipdachs — The Fishing Eagle of Africa — The Musical Sparrow-hawk — The 

 Secretary Eagle 376 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



THE OSTRICH AND THE CASSOWARY. 



Size of the Ostrich — Its astonishing Swiftness — Ostrich Hunting— Stratagem of 

 the Ostrich for protecting its Young — Points of Resemblance with the Camel — 

 Its Voracity— Ostrich Feathers — Domestication of the Ostrich in Algeria — 

 Poetical Legend of the Arabs— The American Rheas— The Cassowary — The 

 Australian Emu 384 



