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 Ruff's display — The Crane's per- 

 formance — The Rook in love — The dance of the Jacana — The 

 "Bailador" in "song and dance" 229 



