Elevation of its Nest.-The WHITE-EYED FLY-CATCHER, its Nest, and Fondness

for the Prickly Vine.-The PRAIRIE Warbler, its Habits and Nest.-The PINE-

CREEPING WARBLER.-The Asiatic Pensiles.-The BAYA SPARROW.-Its Color

and Social Habits.-Singular Form of the Nest........

CHAPTER XIV.

PENSILE INSECTS.

Page 249

The Hymenoptera.-Australian Insects.-The CREMATOGASTER and NEGRO-HEAD.

-The GREEN ANT, its Habits and Nest.-An African Species.-Pensile Ants of

America. The ABISPA and its remarkable Nest.-Ingenious Entrance.-The

TATUA, or DUTCHMAN'S PIPE.-Structure and Shape of its Nest.-Firmness of

the Walls.-Average Number of Cells in each Tier.-The common WASP as a

Pensile Insect.-Gigantic Nest.-Union of three Colonies.- Character of the

Wasp.-The NORWEGIAN WASP.-Structure and Locality of its Nest.-Classifica-

tion of the Wasps.-The CAMPANULAR WASP and the NORTHERN Wasp.-The

CHARTERGUS, or PASTEBOARD WASP.-Mode by which the Nest is suspended.—

Method of Structure.-Meaning of the Name.-Enormous Nest from Ceylon.—

Various Wasp Nests.-The POLISTES as a Pensile Insect.-Singular Nest in the

British Museum.-The GIBBOUS ANT.-Honey Wasps, the general Characteris-

tics of their Nests.-The MYRAPETRA.-Its singular Nest.- Structure of the

Walls and Use of the Projections.-The NECTARINIA.-Why so called.-Locality

of the Nest.-Size of the Insect.-The TRIGONA and its Nest.-Ichneumon Flies.

-Different Species of MICROGASTER, and their Habitations.-The PERILITUS.—

Weevils.-Beautiful Cocoon of Cionus.-The EMPEROR MOTH and its Home.-

The ATLAS MоTH and other Silk Producers.-The HOUSE-BUILDER MOTн and

- The BURNET

its movable Dwelling. - The TIGER MOTH and its Hammock.

MOTHS, and their curious Homes.-The DRINKER MOTH, its Cocoon and insect

Foes.-The OAK-EGGER MOTH.-Method of killing Insects.-Cocoon of the Oak-

egger.-Origin of its Name.-The LITTLE EGGER MOTH.-Air - holes. -Nests

discovered by Mr. Bates.-The CYPRESS-SPURGE MOTH.-Various Leaf-rollers.-

Suspended Cocoon,-LEAF-BURROWERS and their Homes.-The SPIDER.... 269

CHAPTER XV.

BUILDERS.

Building Mammalia. — Definition of the Title. - Inferiority of the Mammalia as
Architects.-The BRUSH-TAILed Bettong.—Its Structure and Color.-The Nest

of the Bettong, and its Adaptation to the Locality.—Singular Method of convey-
ing Materials.-Its nocturnal Habits.-The RABBIT-EARED BANDICOOT and its

Habitat. The generic Title.-Curious Form of the Ears and Feet.-Difficulty in
discovering its Nest. -The MuSQUASH, or ONDATRA. Its general Habits. — Its

burrowing Powers, and Extent of its Tunnels.-The Musquash as a Builder.-
Form and Size of its House.-Mode of Killing the Animal by Spear, Gun, and
323

Trap.-Its Flesh and Fur........

-

CHAPTER XVI.

BUILDING BIRDS.

THE OVEN BIRD and its place in Ornithology.-Its general Habits.-Nest of the

Oven Bird.-Curious Materials and historical Parallel.-The Specimens in the

British Museum.-The internal Architecture of the Nest.-Division into Cham-

bers.-The PIED GRALLINA.-The Specimens at the Zoological Gardens.-Mate-

-

rials and Form of the Nest.-Boldness of the Bird.-The SONG THRUSH and its

Nest.-The BLACKBIRD and its clay-lined Nests.-Supposed Reasons for the Lin-

ing. The FAIRY MARTIN.-Locality, Shape, and Materials of the Nest.—Social

Habits of the Bird.-How the Nest is built.-The RUFOUS-NECKED SWALLOW.-

Locality and abundance of its Nests.-Curious Habit of the Bird. Audubon's

Account. The RUFOUS-BELLIED SWALLOW.-Supplementary Nest.-How the

Bird builds.-Popular Superstition and its Uses.-The HOUSE MARTIN.-Mate-

rial of its Nest.-Favorite Localities.-Ingenuity of the Martin.-Adaptation to

Circumstances.-Parasitic Intruders, their Number, Dimensions, and Tenacity of

Life. The SWALLOW.-Distinction between its Nest and that of the Martin.—

Why called the Chimney Swallow.-TALLEGALLA, or BRUSH TURKEY.-The Il-

lustration explained.-Various Names of the Bird.-Its singular and enormous

Nest.-How the Eggs are laid and hatched.-Egress of the Young.-Remarkable

Instinct.-AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FOWL.-Shape, Size, and Position of its Nests.-

How the Eggs are discovered.-LEIPOA, or NATIVE PHEASANT.-Its Mound-nest,

and general Habits.........
Page 327

CHAPTER XVII.

BUILDING BIRDS (Continued).

Nesting of the Hornbills. Dr. Livingstone's Account of the KORWÉ, or RED-

BREASTED HORNBILL.-The LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE.-Its general Habits.-Its

Use to the Gardener.-Number of the Young.-Form and Materials of the Nest.-

Localities chosen by the Bird.-How to prepare the fragile Eggs.-The MAGPIE.

-Its domed and fortified Nest.-The common WREN and its Nest.-Pseudo-nests

and their probable Origin.-The HOUSE WREN of America.-Its Habits and

Mode of Nesting.-Wilson's Account of the Bird.-Its Usefulness and quarrel-

some Nature. The LYRE BIRD.-Origin of its Name.-Its domed Nest.-The

ALBERT'S LYRE BIRD and its Habits.-The BoWER BIRD.-Why so called.-

Civilization and social Amusement.-The remarkable Bower.-Its Materials and

Mode of Construction.-Use to which it is put.-The Bower Birds in the Zoolog-

ical Gardens, and their Habits.-Love of Ornament.-Meaning of the scientific

Name.-The SPOTTED BOWER BIRD of New South Wales.-Its BOWER.-De-

scription of the Birds, and their place in the present System.......

CHAPTER XVIII.

BUILDING INSECTS.

344

The TERMITE, or WHITE ANT.-General Habits of the Insect.-African Termites

and their Homes.-Termites as Articles of Food.-Indian Termites.-Account

of their Proceedings. -American Termites.-Mr. Bates's Account of their Hab-

its.-European Termites.-Their Ravages in France and Spain.-M. de Quatre-

fages and his History of the Termites of Rochefort and La Rochelle.-The EU-

MENES and its mud-built Nest.--The TRYPOXYLON of South America.--The PE-

LOPEUS and its curious Nest.--The MUD-DAUBER WASP.-Mr. Goss's Account

of its Habits.-The MELIPONA of America.-Mr. Stone's Wasp Nests and their

History. Difference of Material.-The FORAGING ANTS of South America and

their various Species.-Nests and Habits of the Foraging Ants.-The AGRICUL

TURAL ANT of Texas.--Dr. Lincecum's Accounts of its Habits

360

CHAPTER XIX.

SUB-AQUATIC NESTS. VERTEBRATES.

Fishes as Architects.-The STICKLEBACKS and their general Habits.-The FRESH-

WATER STICKLEBACKS.—A jealous Proprietor.-Punishment of Trespassers.—

Form and Materials of the Nest.-Use of the Nest.-Cannibalistic Propensities.

-The FIFTEEN-SPINED STICKLEBACK and its Form.-Its curious Nest.-Mr.

Couch's description of a Nest in a Rope's End.-Fishes of Guiana.-The HASSAR

or HARDBACK, and its place in Zoology.-Nest of the Hassar.-Parental Watch-

fulness.-Singular Position of the Nest.-Habits of the Hassar........

CHAPTER XX.

SUB-AQUATIC NESTS.

INVERTEBRATES.

Page 392

A Pool and its Wonders.-The WATER SPIDER.-Its sub-aquatic Nest.-Convey-

ance of Air to the Nest.-The Diving-bell anticipated.-Character of the Air in

the Nest.-Mr. Bell's Experiments upon the Spider.-Life of the Water Spider.-

The HYDRACHNA.-The CADDIS FLIES and their Characteristics.-Sub-aquatic

Homes of the Larva.-Singular Varieties of Form and Material.-Life of a Cad-

dis.-Description of Nests in my own Collection.-Fixed Cases, and Modification

of Larva.-Singular Materials for Nest-building.-CORALS and their general His-

tory. The Coral of Commerce.-Development and Extension of the Coral.-

How fresh Colonies are founded.-Various Corals and their Growth.-Submarine

Tube-makers.-The SERPULÆ and their general Habits.-The Operculum of the

Serpula.-The TEREBELLÆ and their submarine Houses.-The CADDIS SHRIMP.

397

-Remarkable Analogy

CHAPTER XXI.

SOCIAL HABITATIONS.

SOCIAL MAMMALIA.

The BEAVER.-Its Form and aquatic Habits.-Need for Water, and Means used to

procure it.Quadrupedal Engineering. -The Dam of the Beaver.-Erroneous

ideas of the Dam.-How the Beaver cuts Timber.-The Beaver in the Zoological

Gardens.-Theories respecting the Beaver's Dam.-How the Timber is fastened

together.-Form of the Dam, and mode of its Enlargement.-Beaver-dams and

Coral-reefs.-The House or Lodge of the Beaver.-Its Locality and Structure.-

Use of a subterranean Passage.-How Beavers are Hunted.-Curious Supersti-

tion.-"Les Paresseux".
431

CHAPTER XXII.

SOCIAL BIRDS.

The SOCIABLE WEAVER BIRD and its Country.-Description of the Bird.—Nest of

the Sociable Weaver.-How begun and how carried on.-Materials of the Nest.

-The Tree on which the Nest is built, and its Uses.-Dimensions of the Nest and

disastrous Consequences.-A Hottentot and a Lion.-Supposed Object of the So-

cial Nest.-Average Number of Inhabitants.-Analogy with Dyak Houses.-En-

emies of the Sociable Weaver, the Monkey, the Snake, and the Parrakeet..... 438

CHAPTER XXIII.

SOCIAL INSECTS.

Arrangement of Groups.-Nests of POLYBIA.-Curious Method of Enlargement.-

Structure of the Nests.-How concealed.-Various Modes of Attachment.-A cu-

rious Specimen.-The HIVE-BEE, and its claims to Notice.-General History of

the Hive.-Form of the Cells.-The royal Cell, its Structure and Use.-Uses of

the ordinary Cells.-Structure of the Bee-cell.-Economy of Space.-How pro-

duced. Theories of different Mathematicians.-Measurement of Angles.-A log-

arithmic Table corrected by the Bee-cell.-The "Lozenge" a key to the Cell.—

How to form it.-Beautiful mathematic Proportions of the Lozenge.-Method of

Making the Cell or a Model.-Conjectured Analogy between the Cell and certain

Crystals. Effect of the Cell upon Honey.-The HORNET and its Nest.—Its fa-

vorite Localities.-Difficulties of taking a Hornet's Nest.-Habits of the Insect.-

Mr. Stone's Method of taking the Nest.-The SYNCECA and its Habitation.-Beau-

tiful Nests in the British Museum.-Description of the Insect.-Nest of the EU-

CHEIRA.-Its external Form.-Curious Discovery in Dissection.-A suspended

Colony.-Conjectures respecting the Structure.—Nest from the Oxford Museum.

-Remarkable Form of its Doors, and Material of which it is made.-The SMALL

ERMINE MOTH and its Ravages.-Its large social Habitation.-General Habits of

the Larva.-Why the Sparrow does not eat them.-The GOLD-TAILED MOTH and

its beautiful social Nest.-Description of a Specimen from Wiltshire.-Illustration

of the Theory of Heat.-The BROWN-TAILED MOTH and its Nest.-Social Habita-

tions of the PEACH and SMALL TORTOISE-SHELL BUTTERFLIES........... Page 442

CHAPTER XXIV.

SOCIAL INSECTS (Continued).

A curious Ant from India (Myrmica Kirbii).—Locality of its Nest.-Description of

the Nest, its Material, and Mode of Structure.-A nocturnal Misadventure.-The

DRIVER ANT of Africa.-Description of the Insect.-Reason for its Name.-Its

general Habits.-Destructive Powers of the Driver Ant.-How the Insects devour

Meat and convey it Home.-How they kill Snakes.-Native Legend of the Py-

thon.-Their Mode of March.-Fatal Effects of the Sunbeams.-An extemporized

Arch.-Method of escaping from Floods.-Site of their Habitation. -Modes of

destroying them. - Living Ladders and their Structure. Method of crossing

Streams.-Tenacity of Life.-A decapitated Ant.-Mode of Biting.-Description

of the Insect.-Curious Nest of a Brazilian Wasp.-Weight of the Nest and Meth-

od of Attachment.-Variety of Polistes Nest.-Polistes aterrimus and its singular

Nest.-Beautiful Structure of an unknown Polistes.............
468

CHAPTER XXV.

PARASITIC NESTS.

-

Various Parasites.-Parasitic Birds.-The Cuскоо and its Kin.-The Cow-BIRD

and its Nest.-Size of its Egg.-Comparison between the Cuckoo and the Ap-

teryx. The EPYORNIS.-The BLUE-FACED HONEY-EATER or BATIKIN.-Gen-

eral Habits of the Bird.-Singular Mode of Nesting.-The SPARROW-HAWK and

its parasitic Habits.-The KESTREL, its Quarrel with a Magpie.-The PURPLE

GRAKLE OF CROW BLACKBIRD.-Its curious Alliance with the Osprey.-Wilson's

Account of the two Birds.-The SPARROW as a Parasite.-Curious Behavior of

the STORK. Parasitic Insects. - The ICHNEUMON FLIES. -The Parasite of the

CABBAGE CATERPILLAR. -Its Numbers and Mode of making its Habitation. —

Trap-doors of the Cells.-The Australian Cocoon and its Parasites.-The OAK-

EGGER MOTH, its Cocoons and Enemies.-The Puss MOTH.-Its remarkable Co-

coon.-Powerful Jaws of the Parasite.-RUBY-TAILED FLIES and their Victims.-

Modes of Usurpation.-The CUCKOO FLIES or Tachinæ.-Parasites within Pupæ.

-Parasites on Vegetables.--The GALL FLIES and their Home.-British Galls,

their Shapes, Structures, and Authors.--Foreign Galls, and their Uses........ 487

-

CHAPTER XXVI.

PARASITIC NESTS (Continued).

The Oak-tree, and its Aptitude for nourishing Galls.-COMPOUND GALLS, or one

Gall within another.-The SENSITIVE GALL of Carolina.-The Fungus of Wine-

vaults. Galls and the Insects which caused them.-Colors of Galls.-Whence

derived. The Galls of various Trees and Plants.-The Cynips parasites upon an

Insect.-Galls produced by other Insects.-Mr. Rennie's Account of the BEETLE

GALL of the Hawthorn.-The BEETLE GALL of the Thistle.-DIPTEROUS GALL-

MAKERS.-Leaf-miners and Galls.—Size of the Larvæ of Leaf-miners.-The per-

fect Insect and their Beauty.-Method of displaying the Insect.-SOCIAL LEAF-

MINERS.-DIPTEROUS LEAF-MINERS.-Animal Galls.-The CHIGOE and its Hab-

its. Its curious Egg-sac.-Difficulty of extirpating it.-The Penalty of Negli-

gence. The BREEZE FLIES and their Habitations.—WURBLES and their Origin.

-Their influence upon Cattle.-The CLERUS and its Ravages among the Hives.

-The DRILUS, its remarkable Form, and the difference between the Sexes.-The

curious Habitation which it makes..
Page 517

CHAPTER XXVII.

BRANCH-BUILDING MAMMALIA.

The DORMOUSE in Confinement and at Liberty.-Nest of the Dormouse.-Its Posi-

tion, Materials, and Dimensions.-Entrance to the Nest.-The winter Treasury.

-The LOIRE and the LEROT.-Man as a Branch-builder.-Moselekatze. -His

Conquests.-Effects upon the People.-Branch-houses.-Their Approaches.. 531

CHAPTER XXVIII.

FEATHERED BRANCH-BUILDERS.

-

The Rook and its Nesting-place. Materials and Structure of the Nest. Some

Habits of the Rook.-The CROW.-Difference between the Nest of the Rook and

the Crow. The HERON and its Mode of Nidification.-The Heronry at Walton

Hall. - Rustic Ideas respecting the Heron's Nest.-The CHAFFINCH.- Locality

and Structure of its beautiful Nest.-Mode of obtaining Materials.-The GOLD-

FINCH and its Home.-Distinction between the Nests of the Goldfinch and Chaf-

finch. The BULLFINCH.-Locality and Form of its Nest.-Variability of Struc-

ture.-The BLUE-EYED Yellow Warbler.-Curious Materials of its Nest.-Its

remarkable Habits.-The BALD-HEADED EAGLE.-Why so called.-Wilson and

Audubon's Account of its Nest.-The GOLDEN ORIOLE and its beautiful Nest.-

Mode of catching the Bird.-The RED-WINGED STARLING, its Value and Demer-

its.-Its gregarious Habits.—Locality and Structure of its Nest.—The YELLOW-

BREASTED CHAT and its odd Ways.-Its Courage and Affection for its Nest and

Young. Structure of its Nest. -The RINGDOVE and its curious Nest. - The

WHITETHROAT.-Description of the Locality and Structure of the Nest.-Reasons

for its various popular Names.-The MOCKING-BIRD.-The WATER HEN and its

Nesting.—Its habit of covering the Eggs........................

1

CHAPTER XXIX.

FEATHERED BRANCH-BUILDERS (Continued).

538

The SEDGE WARBLER.-Its Nest and Loquacity.-The REED WARBLER.-Use of

its peculiar Tail.-Localities haunted by the Bird.-Song of the Reed Warbler.

-Its deep and beautifully-balanced Nest.-Color of the Eggs.-The INDIGO

BIRD.-The CAPOCIER.-Familiarity of the Bird.-Le Vaillant's Experiments.-