xii Contents 



CHAPTER V 



THE PLAYING-GROUNDS OF BIRDS 



PAGE 



The meeting-places of the Birds of Paradise — The drawing-room 

 of the Argus Pheasant — The assemblies of the Cocks of the 

 Rock — Bower-builders — Gardeners . . . . ■ ii? 



CHAPTER \'l 



THE NESTI^'G OF BIRDS 



The Orders and Families of Birds, with their mode of nesting — 



General remarks thereon — Guillemots and their eggs . . 146 



CHAPTER VII 



WONDERFUL NESTS 



Birds which make no nest — The breeding of the Hornbills — 

 Hoopoes — ^\'ood-Hoopoes and Cobras — Kingfishers — Mud- 

 nest builders — Hoatzins — Flamingoes — Swallows and Martins 

 — Oven-bird — Cemented nests— Edible Swiftlets — Crested 

 Swifts 16S 



CHAPTER YIII 



WONDERFUL NESTS {coilfi/tlied) 



Stick-nest Builders — Hammer-heads — Fire - wood Gatherers — 

 Moss-nest Builders — Felt-nest Builders — Penduline Tits — 

 Rock Warblers — Purse-nest Builders — Weaver-birds — Grass- 

 Warblers — Humming-birds as Engineers — Sun-birds — 

 Salvin's Swift — Assemblages of Albatrosses and Terns . 207 



CHAPTER IX 



THE COURTSHIP AND DANCING OF BIRDS 



Superiority of the Female — Hemipodes — Painted Snipes — Phala- 

 ropes — Dancing of the Black Grouse — The " Spel " of the 

 Capercaihe — The " showing-off " of the Great Bustard — The 

 Bustard's pouch — The Ruff's display — The Crane's per- 

 formance — The Rook in love — The dance of the Jacana — The 

 " Bailador" in " song and dance " ...... 220 



