CONTENTS. 
vii 
Nightingale — migrating birds — Rooks love long avenues — Starlings — 
great flights— social habits— -breeding— a stray bird— actions before roost- 
ing— congregate— very attentive to tlieir young— journeyings— Laborious 
life of birds— Red start— Starling, brown— habits— a very dusky bird— 
Hawks capture by intimidation— single out individuals— Early seasons— 
bring rain— Blooming of the white thorn— Migrating birds— their conduct 
—Butcher bird— Gray fly-catcher— Thrush— instance of affection— motives 
of action— utility in a garden— Sparrows— domestic habits— manners — 
increase— destruction— great consumers of insects— accommodating appe- 
tite Page 108— JoO 
Creatures associating with man— Common mouse— Rat— House-fly— Utility 
of animals— Conduct of man— The dog— Wheatear— Country amusements 
often cruel— Supplication for pity— Eggs— their markings— Foolish super- 
stition— Kite— his habits— great capture of— Blackcap— habits— song- 
nest— food— shyness— habits of our occasional visiting birds— Petty chaps 
—White throats— Willow wren— Fear of man in animals— Stratagem of 
a wren — Instinct — Awakening of birds — Early morning — Morning in 
autumn— Goldfinch— captured— die in the winter— soon reconciled to 
captivity — Tree-creeper — winters in England— not an increasing bird — 
Yellow wagtail — Rapacious birds — Passerine birds — Buntings— unthatch- 
ing corn ricks— Old tokens and signs— White lily — Pimpernel — Mistle- 
thrush— his note— breeds near the dwellings of man — Change of char- 
acter in birds— Love of offspring— Divine appointments— Jack snipe- 
solitary habits — Christmas shooter — Association of birds— Peewit — habits 
— eggs — Prognostications — Hedge-fruit — Fieldfares— Redwings— feeding 
in the lowlands— uplands — Egg of the fieldfare — Rural sounds— notes of 
birds — Plumage of birds — Song of birds — Woodlark— habits — voice — 
capture — Language of man — of birds — Note significant of danger — 
Singing a spontaneous effusion — Variety of note in same species — ‘Lady- 
bird’ note of a song-thrusli — Croaking of the nightingale — Admiration 
of birds— Cleanly and innocent creatures 350—189 
Knowledge slowly obtained — Entomology a difficult study— Wonders around 
us — The objects of many insects unknown— Chrysalis of a moth— Four- 
spotted dragon-fly — Ghost moth— soon destroyed — Specimens of plumage 
of butterflies — Argus butterfly — a pugnacious insect — combats — Azure 
butterfly— seldom seen — Hummingbird sphinx — habits— wildness — tamed 
by familiarity — feigns death — Painted lady butterfly — uncertain in ap- 
pearing — Marble butterfly — Wasp — Meadow-brown butterfly — Yellow 
winged moth — Admirable butterfly— Gamma-moth — Goat-moth — their 
numbers— odor— power of destruction— Larvae of phalaena cossus, where 
plentifully found — Designs of nature — Evening ramble — Insects abound- 
ing — ignorance of their objects— Glow-worms— curious contrivance about 
their eyes— light— migration— Snake eggs— destruction— harmless in Eng- 
land— antipathy of mankind to the race— Paucity of noxious creatures 
inhabiting with us— Small bombyx— Vigilance — animation— quarrels — 
Black ant— combats of strength — Red ants— mortality — Yellow ants— 
winter nests— millipedes— support great degree of cold— Stagnated water 
— abounding with insects — Newt— his voracity — Water flea — an amusing 
insect— observed by boys — Dorr-beetle— tlieir numbers— feign death to 
avoid injury — Cleanliness of creatures in health— Recurrence to causes — 
Cockchaffers— Changes in nature— Death’s-head moth— chrysalides— super- 
