A

FAMILIAR HISTORY

OF

BIRDS:

THEIR NATURE, HABITS,

AND INSTINCTS.

BY THE

REV. EDWARD STANLEY, M. A., F.L.S.,

&c. &c.

RECTOR OF ALDERLEY, CHESHIRE.

PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL
LITERATURE AND EDUCATION, APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY

FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

CONTENTS.

VOLUME II.

CHAPTER I. Passerine Order continued.--Conirostras ;

-Conical Beaks.-Orioles.-Starlings.—Habits of.

-Finch Tribe.-Goldfinch.-Anecdotes of.-Nests

rapidly completed.-Curious Nests in Africa.-Age

of small Birds.-Canary Birds.-Trade in.-Bull-

finches, Piping.-How trained.-Boldness of.-Af-

fectionate and social Habits of.-Also of Linnets.-

Use of small Birds in destroying Insects.

-

CHAPTER II. Subulirostres; Awl-shaped Bills.-Mana-

kins ; curious Nests of.-Tomtits. - Wagtails. —

Redstarts.-Robins, &c.-Migration of this Tribe.

-Nightingales. Whether they return to same

Nests.-Ear for Music.-Night Singing-Birds.-

Planirostres; Flat-billed. -Swallow Tribe. -Whe-

ther occasionally Dormant; instances of.-Migration

of. Insects, number devoured by Swallows. -

Spiders, high Flights of.-Curious Nests of Swal-

lows.-Courage of

-

-

CHAPTER III. Swallows' Nests continued.-Edible

Nests, East Indies.-Goat-Suckers.-Mode of seiz-

ing Moths.-Cavern, with their Nests, described.—

Tenuirostres; Narrow-billed. - Nuthatch. -Tree-

Creeper. Bee-Eater. Hoopoe. Kingfisher.

-

Humming Birds.-Climbing Birds.-Cuneirostres;

Wedge-billed.-Jacamar.-Anis.-Cuckoo.-Anec-

dotes and Habits of

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28

55

-

CHAPTER IV. Cuneirostral continued.-Woodpecker-

Tame one.-Wryneck-Tongue of.-Levirostral;

Light-billed.-Parrots.-Toucan. -Gallinaceous—

Poultry Tribe. Pigeons, American- Prodigious

numbers of Rapid flight-Employed as messengers

-Mode of catching-Attachments of.-Cocks.—

Pheasants-Courage of.-On breeding Pheasants-

Box for feeding-Prized by Ancients.-Turkies,

Wild-Social habits of.-Partridges, tamed-Nests

of Various sorts of.-Quails-Immense flights of.

-Bustards.-Ostrich-Nests of Affection-Hunt-

ing-Strength of.-Cassowary and Emu

CHAPTER V. Water-Birds.-Waders.-Pressirostral-

Narrow-beaked. Water-Hens Anecdotes of-

Nests of.Coots-Nests of.-Jacanas-Singular

- Oyster-

foot of.

-

Horned Screamers.

Rails.

-

Catchers-Tamed.-Cultrirostra-Cutting-billed.-

Herons-Toothed-claw of-Voracity of. -Storks

and Cranes-Migrations of Respect paid to.

Gigantic Crane-Particulars respecting.-Jabiru.-

Anastomus-Open-beaked.-Tantalus

CHAPTER VI. Latirostral-Flat-beaked.

Boat-bill.-

Spoon-bill.-Flamingo-Mode of feeding-Nest of—

Watchful habits.-Tenuirostral, or Longirostral-

Long, slender-billed Birds.-Avoset.-Sand-Pipers.

-Dotterel-Preservation of its Young.-Dunlin's

Nest and Eggs.-Plover-Mode of catching.-Ibis

-Mummies of-Why held sacred.

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80

118

144

CHAPTER VII. Palmipedes-Web-footed-Serrated or

tooth-billed.-Geese-Flocks of-How managed-

Plucking. - Singular attachment-Sagacity-Cou-

rage of.-Tree Geese.-Swans-Muscular strength

-Courage.-Black Swans.-Trade in Swan-quills. 169