vm CONTENTS. 



Meal- Worm and its ravages — Weevils — The Palm-Weevil of Jamaica — Its 

 development and uses as an edible — Its Cocoons — The Wasp-Beetle, its 

 shape, colours, and tunnelling powers — The MusK Beetle — Its beauty and 

 fragrance — Difficulty of detecting the Musk-Beetle — Its Burrows and their in- 

 mates—The Rhagium and its Cocoon — The Harlequin Beetle — Wood-boring 

 Bees — Willow-Bee, its tunnel and mode of making the Cells — food of the 

 Younf — The Poppy Bee — The Pith-boring Bees and their Habits — Structure 

 of the cells and escape of the Young— Economy of labour — Shell-nests of Bees 

 — Wonderful adaptation to circumstances — How the Bee burrows — The Hoop- 

 Shavee-Bee — Gilbert White's description of its habits — The Sirex and its 

 Burrow — Its ravages among fig-trees — Formidable aspect of the insect — The 

 two British species — Carpenter Bee — Mode of making its burrow — Method- 

 ical labour — Food of the Young — How to make a Ceiling — Number of cells in 

 each burrow — The Carpenter Bee of Australia — The Pelopj)us as a Wood-borer 

 — Its tunnel, and mode of making cells — The Sapeeda — Damage caused to 

 aspen and other trees — A useful parasite — The Goat Moth — Wood Leopard 

 Moth — Clear-wings and Honey-comb Moths 167 



CHAPTER X. 



PENSILE MAMMALIA. 



The Harvest Mouse — Its appearance — Eeason for its name — Mouse nests — 

 Home of the Harvest Mouse — A curious problem — Food of the Hai-vest Mouse, 

 and its agility — The Squirrel — Its summer and winter "cage" — Boldness of 

 the Squin-el — Materials for the nest, and their arrangement 194 



CHAPTER XI. 



PENSILE BIRDS. 



Weaver Birds and their general habits — Red-billed Weaver Bird — Its 

 bovine friends — Its use to the buffalo — Other parasitic birds — The Spotted- 

 backed Weaver Bird — Its nest, and variable method of construction— The 

 Mahali Weaver Bird — Shape of the nest — Singular defence — Theories 

 respecting the structure — Habits of the bird — Remarkable nests of Weavei-s — 

 Account of Weavers engaged in nest-buUding — Very curious contrivance — The 

 Gold-capped WiAVEE^Structure and situation of the nest — The Taiia 

 Weaver Bird — Locality selected for its nest — Destructiveness to crops — The 

 Palm Sv^ift— Its general habits — The nest and its variable structure — Silk- 

 cotton— The Tailor Bird — Antiquity of handicrafts — Structure of the nest — 

 The Fan-tailed Warbler— Singular method of fixingits nest — The Pekdfi.ine 

 Titmouse — It habits and food — Remarkable nest and its form .... 199 



CHAPTER XII. 



PENSILE BIRDS (CONTINUED). 



Australian Pensiles— The Yellow-thp.oated Sekicornis— Its habits -Singular 

 position for its nest — Conscious security — The Rock Warbler — Shape and 

 locality of its nest — The Yellow-tailed Acanthiza — Its colour and song — 

 Supplementary nests— The Pinc-pikc and its home— Supposed use of the sup- 



