iv NATURAL HISTORY. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE FLOWER-PECKERS THE CHATTERERS THE SWALLOWS THE TAXAGERS THE TRUE FINCHES THE HANG-NESTS. 



THE FLOWER-PECKERS The Bornean Species -THE AUSTRALIAN FLOWER-PECKER THE CHATTERERS 

 Characters THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER Superstitions regarding it Professor Newton's 

 Account of Mr. Wolley's Discovery of its Nest and Eggs Description of the Bird THE SWALLOWS 

 Professor Garrod's Explanation of the Grounds for Placing Swallows and Swifts in Separate Orders THE 

 HOUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS THE SMOOTH-WINGED SWALLOWS The Three English Species THE COMMON- 

 SWALLOW Harbinger of Summer Buffon's Anecdote Migrant Usefulness Nest THE TANAGERS 

 Insect Eaters Brilliant Plumage Species THE SCARLET TANAGER Dr. Brewer's Account of its Habits 

 THE TRUE FINCHES The Two Sections Palate Characters Nest of Chaffinch Nesting of Bullfinch- 

 Palate and Bill Characters in Buntings THE CROSSBILLS Habits Curiously-formed Bills Longfellow's 

 "Legend of the Crossbill "THE HANG-NESTS The Three Sub-Families Habits of the Cow-bird THE 

 BALTIMORE ORIOLE Dr. Brewer's Description of its Habits THE BOAT-TAIL ,84 



CHAPTER A r l. 



STARLING-LIKE BIRDS AND SONGLESS BIRDS. 



THE STIIRNIFORMES, OR STARLING-LIKE BIRDS Characters THE WEAVER BIRDS- Their Extra- 

 ordinary Nests Dr. Jerdon's Account of their Habits Construction of the Nest Performances of Trained 

 Bayas THE STARLINGS Characters THE COMMON STARLING Gregarious Habits THE AFRICAN BEEF-EATER 

 Their Services to Cattle-THE WOOD SWALLOWS Mr. Gould's Account of their Habits THE LARKS 

 Distinctive Features Their Habits Song THE MESOMYODI, OR SONGLESS BIRDS-Mostly of the 

 New World THE LYRE BIRDS-THE BUSH-WRENS THE SPINE-TAILS THE OVEN BIRD THE 

 AMERICAN ANT-THRUSHES -THE OLD WORLD ANT-THRUSHES -THE TYRANT BIRDS THE 

 KINGBIRD Dr. Brewer's Account of its Habits THE AMERICAN CHATTERERS THE COCK OF THE ROCK 

 THE BELL BIRD THE UMBRELLA BIRD THE MANAKINS THE BROADBILLS THE PLANT-CUTTERS 

 ORDER OF PIGEONS Difference between Pigeons and Game-birds Features THE DODOS Now 

 Extinct History THE SOLITAIRE Also Extinct THE TOOTH-BILLED PIGEON THE COLUMBID^E, OR TRUE 

 PIGEONS Four Divisions THE FRUIT PIGEONS THE TRUE DOVES THE PASSENGER PIGEON Its Long- 

 continued Flights THE BKONZE- WINGS THE CROWNED PIGEONS 101 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE GAME-BIRDS. 



GALLINJE, GAME-BIRDS Characteristics- THE CURASSOWS The Sub-families Distinctive Features- 

 Prof. Sumichrast on the Hocco and Penelopes THE HOATZINS THE PHEASANTS THE PEACOCKS Their 

 Gorgeous Plumage The so-called Tail Is the Peacock vain ? -Dr. Jerdon's Account of the Habits of the Peafowl 

 The Peacock Pheasants The Argus Pheasants THE TRUE PHEASANTS Description of the Habits of the Monaul, 

 or Impeyan Pheasant Coloration of Bird Habits of the English Species of True Pheasant Reeves's Pheasant 

 THE GUINEA FOWLS Distinctive Features THE TURKEYS Characters Species Dr. Brewer's Account of 

 the Habist of the Wild Turkey Migration of Turkeys THE GROUSE AND PARTRIDGES THE GROUSE 

 The Capercailzie The Black Cock The Hazel Grouse The Ptarmigan Its Summer, Autumn, and Winter 

 Plumage The Willow Grouse THE PARTRIDGES Distribution The Francolins The American Partridges 

 The Californian Quail The Common Partridge The Snow Partridges THE QUAIL THE SAND-GROUSE 

 THE HEMIPODES THE MEGAPODES Their Large Feet Distribution Members of the Family Brush- 

 Turkey Mr. Wallace's Account of the Maleo Cuming's Megapode Mr. Motley's History of the Species 

 Gould's Description of the Habits of the Mound-raising Megapode of Australia Moseley's Note on the 

 Incubation of the Megapodid* 128 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE WADING BIRDS. 



Chief Characters of a Wading Bird General Habits THE RAILS Distinctive Features THE JACANAS Foot- 

 Distribution The Pheasant-tailed Jacana THE TRUE RAILS AND CRAKES Characteristics The Water Rail 

 The Corn-crake, or Land Rail THE WATER HENS The Blue Water Hens The Common Water Hen, or Moor 

 Hen Its Habits Its Nest Its Young Its Bad Character THE COOTS Foot Characters Appearance Nest 

 and Eggs THE FINFOOTS THE SNIPES Distinctive Features THE CURLEWS Their Curved Bill The 

 Red-billed Curlew The Painted Snipes Anomaly about the Females The Curlews THE SANDPIPERS -The 

 Collector's Quest Summer Snipes Terns Godwits Plover Acting as Sentinel The Dunlin The Curlew 

 Sandpiper The Knot The Ruff THE PHALAROPES THE STILTS, OR STILT PLOVERS The Avocet The 

 Stilts THE PLOVERS THE TURNSTONES THE TRUE PLOVERS The Lapwing, or "Pee-wit "Mr. Seebohm's 

 Account of the Habits of the Grey Plover Golden Plovers Sand Plovers THE OYSTER-CATCHERS THE 

 BUSTARDS Characters The Thick-knee, or Stone Curlew The Coursers Dr. Brehm's Account of the 

 Habits of the Great Bustard THE CRANES The Kagu The Sun Bittern THE COMMON CRANE Stories of 

 Von Seyffertitz's Tame Crane THE TRUMPETERS 156 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE HERONS THE GEESE AND WILD FOWL THE PELICANS THE SEA-BIRDS. 



THE HERONS Characters THE TRUE HERONS THE COMMON HERON Mr. Harting's Account of its Habits- 

 Heronries Egrets Hungarian Breeding-places Feeding the Young THE STORKS The Umbre, or Brown 

 Stork The Shoe-billed Stork The Characteristic Bird of Central Africa The White Stork Protection 

 afforded them in Various Countries The Adjutant The Marabou THE SPOONBILLS AND IBISES THE 

 SPOONBILLS Their Peculiar Bill Habits THE IBISES Species Dr. Brehm's Remarks on the Sacred Ibis 

 THE FLAMINGOES THE GEESE AND WILD FOWL THE SCREAMERS WILD FOWL Characters THE 

 GEESE Dwarf Geese Cereopsis Goose Spur-winged Geese Grey or Wild Goose Sea Geese Brent Goose 

 THE SWANS The Wild Swan The Black Swan THE DUCKS The Wild Duck The Mallard SCOTERS- 

 EIDERS MERGANSERS THE STIFF-TAILED DUCKS The Diving Ducks THE PELICANS THE FRIGATE 

 BIRDS Habits Visit to a Breeding-place Domesticated THE TROPIC BIRDS THE PELICANS The Common 



