xii CONTENTS. 



rials and Form of the Nest. — Boldness of the Bird. — The Song Thrush and its 

 Nest. — The Blackbird and its clay-lined Nests. — Supposed Reasons for the Lin- 

 ing. — The Fairy Martin. — Locality, Shape, and Materials of the Nest. — Social 

 Habits of the Bird. — How the Nest is built. — The Rufous-necked Swallow. — 

 Locality and abundance of its Nests. — Curious Habit of the Bird. — Audubon's 

 Account. — The Rufous-bellied Swallow. — Supplementary Nest. — How the 

 Bird builds. — Popular Superstition and its Uses. — The House Martin. — Mate- 

 rial of its Nest. — Favorite Localities. — Ingenuity of the Martin. — Adaptation to 

 Circumstances. — Parasitic Intruders, their Number, Dimensions, and Tenacity of 

 Life. — The Swallow. — Distinction between its Nest and that of the Martin. — 

 Why called the Chimney Swallow. — Tallegalla, or Brush Turkey. — The Il- 

 lustration explained. — Various Names of the Bird. — Its singular and enormous 

 Nest. — How the Eggs are laid and hatched. — Egress of the Young. — Remarkable 

 Instinct. — Australian Jungle Fowl. — Shape, Size, and Position of its Nests. — 

 How the Eggs are discovered. — Leipoa, or Native Pheasant. — Its Mound-nest, 

 and general Habits Page 327 



CHAPTER XVII. 

 BUILDING BIRDS (Continued). 

 Nesting of the Hornbills. — Dr. Livingstone's Account of the Korwe, or Red- 

 breasted Hornbill. — The Long-tailed Titmouse. — Its general Habits. — Its 

 Use to the Gardener. — Number of the Young. — Form and Materials of the Nest. — 

 Localities chosen by the Bird. — How to prepare the fragile Eggs. — The Magpie. 

 — Its domed and fortified Nest. — The common Wren and its Nest. — Pseudo-nests 

 and their probable Origin. — The House Wren of America. — Its Habits and 

 Mode of Nesting. — Wilson's Account of the Bird. — Its Usefulness and quarrel- 

 some Nature. — The Lyre Bird. — Origin of its Name. — Its domed Nest. — The 

 Albert's Lyre Bird and its Habits. — The Bower Bird. — Why so called. — 

 Civilization and social Amusement. — The remarkable Bower. — Its Materials and 

 Mode of Construction. — Use to which it is put. — The Bower Birds in the Zoolog- 

 ical Gardens, and their Habits. — Love of Ornament. — Meaning of the scientific 

 Name. — The Spotted Bower Bird of New South Wales. — Its Bower. — De- 

 scription of the Birds, and their place in the present System 344 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



BUILDING INSECTS. 

 The Termite, or White Ant. — General Habits of the Insect. — African Termites 

 and their Homes. — Termites as Articles of Food. — Indian Termites. — Account 

 of their Proceedings. — American Termites. — Mr. Bates's Account of their Hab- 

 its. — European Termites. — Their Ravages in France and Spain. — M. de Quatre- 

 fages and his History of the Termites of Rochefort and La Rochelle. — The Eu- 

 menes and its mud-built Nest. — The Trypoxylon of South America. — The Pe- 

 lopjeus and its curious Nest. — The Mud-dauber Wasp. — Mr. Goss's Account 

 of its Habits. — The Melipona of America. — Mr. Stone's Wasp Nests and their 

 History. — Difference of Material. — The Foraging Ants of South America and 

 their various Species. — Nests and Habits of the Foraging Ants. — The Agricul- 

 tural Ant of Texas. — Dr. Lincecum's Accounts of its Habits 360 



