CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 

 Introductory 



Absence of literature relating to Birds' Nests— Difficulty of classi- 

 fying Nests— The Philosophy of Birds' Nests— Nests regarded 

 as Utilitarian Structures — Intelligence of Birds in Nest-building — 

 The Theory of Instinct — Changed Nesting Habits and Types — 

 Evidence against the Theory of Instinct — Variation in Nest- 

 building Skill — Wallace's Theory of Birds' Nests — Faculties 

 Employed by Birds in Nest-building — Retention of Old Habits by 

 Various Birds — Nest-building Tools— Differences in Nest-type— 

 Amongst Nearly Allied Birds — Abnormal Nest Materials — Abnormal 

 Nest sites — The Nest-building Sex — Instructions for Collecting and 

 Preserving Nests — Necessity for Recording Certain Facts — Preser- 

 vative for Nests — Storage of Nests ..... 



CHAPTER II 



Nestless BirdSj Annexers, AND Parasites 



Conditions of a nestless state — Occasional lapses in the Nest-building 

 Habit— Nestless Birds— Tropic Birds and Vultures — Ringed Plover 

 —Coursers and Pratincoles — Stone Curlew — Gulls and Terns — Auks 

 — Nestless Petrels — Goatsuckers — Origin of the Nestless Habit- 

 Number of Eggs laid by nestless species — ^Annexing Birds — Birds 

 of Prey and Owls— The Kestrel— The Hobby— Honey Buzzard- 

 Orange-legged Hobby — Iceland Jer-Falcon — The annexing habit 

 not always universal in the same species — Egyptian Vulture — Turkey 

 Vulture— Cooper's Hawk — Tawny Owl — Long-eared Owl — Teng- 

 malm's Owl — Hawk Owl — Eagle Owl — American Barred Owl — Saw- 

 whet Owl— Green Sandpiper — Wood Sandpiper— Swallows — Birds 

 building in nests of other species — Great Titmouse — House Sparrow 

 —Purple Grackle — Spanish Sparrow in nest of Stork — Return of 

 Birds to old Nests — Parasitic Birds— Origin of the habit of Parasitism 

 —Coloration of Eggs of Parasitic Birds— Cow Bird— Birds laying 

 astray— Birds evicted by other species— Benevolent characteristics 

 in Birds— Origin of Parasitism through the young 



ix 



