THE LIBRARY OF ENTERTAINING Knowledge.

THE

DOMESTIC

HABITS OF BIRDS.

LONDON:

CHARLES KNIGHT, 22, LUDGATE STREET, AND
13, PALL-MALL EAST;

LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER-ROW;
OLIVER AND BOYD, EDINBURGH; ATKINSON AND CO., GLASGOW;
WAKEMAN, DUBLIN; WILLMER AND SMITH, LIVERPOOL; BAINES
AND CO., LEEDS; AND JACKSON, NEW YORK.

MDCCCXXXIII.

CONTENTS.

Page

CHAPTER I.

Habits of cleanliness in Birds

Small animals the most cleanly

Rump-gland according to Willughby

Argument of Réaumur against its supposed use.

Experiment by J. R.

Serrated claws of Herons and Night-jars

Anecdote of a Swallow.

Use of the tongue as a cleaning instrument

Analogy in Quadrupeds

Analogy from the grub of the Glow-worm

CHAPTER II.

Birds, solitary and gregarious, on account of food

11

Birds, solitary or gregarious, on account of shelter or assist-

Crowding together of House Sparrows
Contest for places among Bottle-tits

Roosting of the Blackbird, Thrush, and Starling
Roosting of the Wren

Extraordinary proportion of the sexes

Difference in the male parents of quadrupeds and birds

Instance in Rooks

The Capocier of Africa

The White-headed Eagle and the Fish-hawk

Magpie and Black-cap

84

CHAPTER VI.

Cock-fighting

Structure of Eggs

Egg-organ, or ovarium

Embryo egg

Parts of the egg

Use of the white

Air-bag in the egg

Subventaneous eggs