342 



INDEX 



effect of, on Heine, 313 ; and on 

 others, 313 ; sometimes mistaken 

 for that of thrush, 313, 314; by 

 day not more noticed than that 

 of lark or thrush, 314; some of 

 effect of due to night and silence, 

 314, 315. Sobriety of colouring 

 exaggerated, 316 ; brightness of 

 tail, 316 ; ruddy patch on, 316, 

 317; glossy appearance of, 317, 

 318 ; example of a bird doubly 

 distinguished, 317; may begetting 

 brighter, 318 ; pictures of, in 

 natural history books, 318 ; real 

 appearance of, 319 ; sings without 

 pose, 319 ; and sometimes on 

 ground, 319; Milton fortunately 

 not familiar with, 319 ; female 

 alone builds nest, 319 ; is attended 

 by male, 319 



Nightjar, sound with the wings 

 made by, 52 ; movements of, to 

 protect young, 60, 61 ; seem re- 

 sult of nervous shock or mental 

 disturbance, 61 ; twitching of 

 muscles of throat of, 179 ; must 

 wait a little, 337 



Night-raven, possible origin of idea 

 of, 288 



Nut-hatch, feeding on seeds of exotic 

 fir, 231, 232, 233, 234, 23s; 

 manner of loosening the seeds 

 of, 233, 23s 



Organisms, plasticity of, 48 

 Ostrich, courting or nuptial antics 



of male, 169 ; incubation shared 



by the sexes, 169 



Partridge, movements of, to pro- 

 tect young, 60, 6l. At straw- 

 stack, 199, 205 ; coming down 

 to, on a winter morning, 205. 

 Soft sounds made by, 205 

 Peacocks, shot in India, 206 

 Peewit, cry of, 25 ; somersaults 

 thrown by, 26 ; sound made 

 with wings, 27 ; bridal dances 

 of, 26, 27 ; flying with hooded 

 crow, 27, 28. Attacking hen 



pheasant, 27 ; and moor-hen, 28. 

 Call-note on ground, 28, 29, 30; 

 sporting of two, 30, 31 ; upward 

 sweep in flight, 31, 32; under- 

 studying of one another, 32; 

 aerial combats possible, 33, 42 ; 

 aerial evolutions, remarks on, 33, 

 34 ; feigning broken wing not 

 observed, 66 ; three flying to- 

 gether, remarks on, etc., 83, 84, 

 85, 86 ; roll over of compared 

 with that of raven, 263 



Penguins, flight, how lost by, 151 ; 

 manner of diving of, 152 



People, mental approach of some, 

 223 ; not explained by such 

 terms as insight, intuition, per- 

 ception, affinity, etc., 223 



<^T||>.T|, Greek idea of the, 219; 

 brought to mind by watching 

 birds, 220, 221, 294 



Pheasants, timidity shown by males 

 in fighting, 75 ; at straw-stack in 

 winter, 199,205; beauty of male, 

 206. Curious low notes and pip- 

 ing sounds of, 207 ; not quite so 

 soft as those of partridges, 207. 

 Timidity of, tempered by judg- 

 ment and individual tempera- 

 ment, 207 ; conduct of, when 

 small birds fly off, 207, 208; 

 males agree together, feeding, 

 208 ; roosting of dove-tailing with 

 last flight home of rooks, 261, 

 262 ; trying to look like a soldier, 

 283, 284 ; dull plumage of hen 

 representing that of progenitor of 

 the family, 310, 311 



Pigeons, twitching of muscles of 

 throat of, 180 



Puffin, diving of, 152 ; disparity in 

 time of laying, 183 ; carrying fish 

 crosswise in beak, 187 



Rabbit, with young in sandpit, 

 328, 329 



Ravens, molested by gulls, 129 ; at 

 first not impressed by, 129 ; 

 peculiar croak of, 130 ; appear- 

 ance, etc., of nest of, 130; be- 

 haviour of young in nest, 130, 



