Contents 



CHAPTER X 



PAOB 



NESTS IN TREES . . . . . .123 



A Use for Spiders' Webs A Bird Felt-maker Concealment 

 A Downy Couch Nestlings as Nest-builders No Robbers ! 

 A Bird Colony The Weaver-bird's Two-roomed House A 

 Wise Bird Thrush's Linoleum Edible Nests A Fungus 

 and its Uses The Shrike's Larder A Good Port in a Storm 

 The Little Tailor 



CHAPTER XI 



BIRDS' EGGS , , . . . ' . 136 



The Three-gallon Egg A Bird which lays its Weight in 

 Eggs Round and pointed Eggs Colour and the Reason 

 why Plumage and Song The Green Eggs of Spring A 

 Bird which never fears Discovery The Story of Two Eggs 

 The Eccentric Eggs of the Guillemot Eggs one cannot miss 



CHAPTER XII 



PLUMAGE AND ITS MEANING , ,. . . 145 



Nestlings and their Markings Tropical Green The Appro- 

 priate Livery of the Pheasant A Change of Scene and a 

 Change of Coat The Elusive Bittern The Ptarmigan and 

 his Wardrobe Identification Discs Powder-down The 

 Strange Story of the Heron 



CHAPTER XIII 



COURTSHIP . . . . j 153 



Fine Feathers make Fine Birds A Failing Voice An 

 Admired Deformity A Dazzling Display An Avian Panto- 

 mimeThe Ruff and his Amours A Blase Mate An Early 

 Morning Parade The Peacock's Tail Floral Offerings and 

 the Building of a Palace 



CHAPTER XIV 



QUEER FRIENDSHIPS .-,.,/ . !jfc , t . * . 165 



An Ant Farm The "Cows" and a Myth The Green-fly's 

 Battery Farmsteads in miniature The Lure of Honey-dew 

 Ingratitude to a Butterfly An Artful Dodger How a Fly 

 spends its Time with the Ants A House Removal and how 

 it may be avoided A Modern Jonah Accidents will happen 

 The Rhino and his Friend A Little Jockey 



II 



