CONTENTS, IX 



Page 



Fishing of the Osprey . , . . .167 

 Fishing of the Heron . ... . . . 169 



Misery of the Heron, according to Button . . . 170 



Fishing of the Kingfisher 170 



Gizzard. of the Gannet, Sea-mew, and Rotch . . 170 



CHAPTER VIII. 



TASTE OF INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS . . . . .173 

 Food of Humming-birds ..... 173 



Birds kill their insect-prey 175 



Rooks experience famine in dry weather . . . 175 

 Peculiarity in Rooks at the base of the bill . . 177 



Cape Rook 178 



Misrepresentations of the Rook .... ISO 

 Bristles or whiskers of birds . . . . .180 



Fly- catcher, or Post-bird 181 



Fly-catching of the Chaffinch 182 



Seed-eating of the Chaffinch 184 



Bud-eating of the Bullfinch . . , . .185 



CHAPTER IX. 



TOUCH IN BIRDS . ..... . . . 187 



Supposed origin of the sagacity of animals . . 187 



Theory of Buffon 187 



Theory of Darwin and Helvetius . . . .188 



The hand of man ... . . .189 



Importance of the thumb . . . . . 190 



Muscles of the hand 191 



Nerves of the finger . 192 



Fancy of Lord Monboddo * 192 



Tact in Birds 193 



The lips and whiskers of animals .... 194 



The Seal and the Duckbill 195 



The bill in Geese and Ducks . . . .196 



The sense of heat 197 



Roosting of the Ox-eye 197 



Roosting of the Black-cap 198 



