Bird Watching

by Edmund Selous

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INDEX

• Animals, figures of, in heraldry may come down from savage times, [102];
• teach meaning of our high terminology, [110];
• word "love" properly used in connection with, [110];
• gregarious, thought-transference more likely in, [222];
• careful observation of, advisable, [223];
• slaughter of, [224]
• Authority, no attention to be paid to, [248]
• Barn-owl, must wait a little, [336]
• Birds, great range of vision of most, etc., [24], [25];
• aerial fighting of, sometimes deceptive, [35];
• nesting habits of, must follow general habits, [48];
• will vary habits suddenly, [48].
• Instinct of feigning injury possessed by some, [59];
• suggested origin of, [63], [64].
• Pugnacity of, mingled with timidity, [74], [75], [76];
• nervous or frenzied movements as aids to courage in, and leading to sexual display of plumage by, [76], [77], [78], [79];
• association of three, [82], [83], [85], [90];
• sexual feelings of, not always quite dormant in winter, [86], [87], [89];
• sportings of, may be selected, [89];
• fighting of, tendency to become formal, [109];
• frequent difficulty in distinguishing male and female of, [112];
• slaughter of, each year, and consequent retardation of knowledge as to, [126];
• power of ejecting excrement to distance possessed by some, and suggested significance of this, [131], [132];
• can "bring all heaven before our eyes," [143];
• female not always coy in courtship, [146];
• wings of, when opened in diving show feet are little used, [148];
• power of flight in aquatic, how lost or retained, [151], [152];
• webbed foot of aquatic, how obtained, [160], [161];
• possible relation between opening bill and colour of gular region, [170];
• sea, disparity in time of laying of, [183];
• watching of at straw-stack, [199] et seq.
• Attempt to catch at, [200], [201];
• feeding at, [204];
• sudden simultaneous flights of small, from, and discussion of, [201], [210], [211], [212], [213], [216], [217], [218], [219], [220], [221], [222], [223];
• fighting of small, at, [208].
• Self-reliance of, [208], [225];
• most timid may be least liable to change, [226];
• wariness combined with boldness in, [226];
• various, behaving like tree-creepers, [236];
• origin of some strange actions of foreign, possibly to be traced in our own, [256];
• song of, founded on call, etc., notes in analogy with plumage, [310], [311];
• correspondence between call, etc., notes and song of, [312];
• matrimonial teachings of, conveyed delicately, [328];
• more knowledge of, gained by watching one than by killing or robbing thousands, [332];
• killing of, silly as well as brutal, [336];
• total destruction of, approaching, [336];
• hatred of destruction of, might extend to man, [336]
• Blackbird, chariness of fighting sometimes shown by male, [76];
• pugnacity of hen, [76];
• at straw-stack, [199]-[204];
• hen fighting with starling, [204];
• a charming nest-builder, [301];
• nest-building of, described, [301], [302], [303], [304].
• Nest plastered with mud, [304];
• suggested origin of this habit, [304], [305];
• and future development of, [305], [306].
• Habit of plastering of, seldom alluded to, [307];
• nest, how differing from that of thrush, [304];
• male does not sing during nest-building, [307];
• song of, unjustly rated, [312]
• Blackcap, song of, how differing from nightingale's, [312]
• Blackcock, readiness to avoid a conflict shown by male, [75]
• Brambling, at straw-stack, [199], [202];
• beauty of, [202], [203]
• Bullfinch, a bud-eater, [249];
• feeding on elms with blue-tit, [249];
• acrobatism of, [249], [250];
• awkwardness of, à la Harpagon, [250];
• manner of securing buds, [250];
• attacks blue-tit, [250];
• an example of sexual selection acting in two directions, [318]
• Bunting, at straw-stack, [199]
• Caress, a possible origin of the, [192]
• Carnage, difficulty in conjuring up scenes of, nowadays, [135]
• Chaffinch, combats between the hens whilst collecting materials for the nest, [105].
• At straw-stacks in winter, [199], [201];
• numbers of, predominate, [208].
• Pugnacity of, and manner of fighting, [208], [209], [210];
• acting like fly-catcher, [247];
• an example of sexual selection acting in two directions, [318]
• Chinese, a recipe to dislike killing of, [336]
• Collectors, immense harm done by, [334]
• Coot, diving of, [158], [159];
• in flocks in winter, [160].
• Manner of feeding of, [159];
• a better diver than the moor-hen, [160];
• lobes of toes, how possibly acquired, [160], [161]
• Cormorants (see also [Shag]), hop in courtship and for convenience, [49];
• their power of ejecting excrements to distance, [131];
• nest of, [131];
• excelled by shag in diving, [153];
• popular idea of, [163];
• evil-looking appearance of, [163];
• Longfellow's lines on, [164];
• Milton in connection with, [164], [165];
• similarity to shag in habits, etc., [165], [166]
• Creature, when observed varying, dubbed new species or variety, [229]
• Cuckoo, must wait a little, [336]
• Curlew, peculiarities of, [139];
• resemblance to ibis, [139];
• an opposite bird, [140];
• inconspicuous when on ground, [140];
• conspicuous, by contrast, in flight, [140];
• flight, ordinary and nuptial, of, [141];
• note of, [141], [142];
• its connection with the prophet Jeremiah, [141]
• Dabchick, sporting of three together, with suggested explanation of, [87], [88], [89];
• probable way of fighting, [88];
• can fly seriously, [149];
• his manners of diving, etc., [154], [155], [156];
• and claims to a tail, [156]
• Darwin, sexual selection as conceived by, [25];
• his comment on Bate's account of humming-bird destroyed by spider, [52];
• his theory that birds can admire, [255];
• origin of language, his view as to the, [289]
• Eider-duck, courting note of male, [142];
• suggestions, etc., raised by, [142], [143];
• difficult to locate, [143].
• The poetry of the family, [143];
• female pleasing, [144];
• beauty of male, [144].
• Courting actions of male, [144], [145];
• and of female, [145].
• Female active agent in being wooed, [144];
• demonstrations of female between two males, [145];
• males mobbing females politely, [145];
• males, combats between, [145];
• dive as a relaxation, [145];
• choice and dismissal of suitors by female, [146];
• advances of female declined by male, [146];
• female not coy, [146];
• nesting habits of, [146], [147];
• male sitting inland, [147];
• charm of watching, etc., [147], [148];
• appearance of, under water, [148], [149]
• Goldfinch, solitary at straw-stack, [203];
• beauty of, rivalling bramblings, [203];
• manner of feeding of, [203]
• Great Auk, flight, how lost by, [151]
• Great Crested Grebe, manner of fighting of, [150];
• various ways of diving of, [161];
• grace of, [161], [162];
• nest-building of, [329], [330], [331], [332];
• habit of building platform of male, [331], [332]
• Great Plover, haunts of, [4];
• manner of sitting, [4].
• Fanciful resemblance to Don Quixote, [4], [5], [18];
• and to the Baron of Bradwardine, [4], [5], [20].
• Odd actions of, [5], [6];
• chase of moths, etc., by, [6], [7], [8].
• Autumn dances of, [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15];
• suggested motive for, [15].
• Wailing notes or "clamour" of, [10];
• ordinary flying note of, [10];
• nuptial or courting antics of, [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20];
• an old-fashioned bird, [16]
• Great Green Woodpecker, spiral ascent of trunk, [243];
• assisted by tail, [243];
• can descend trunk backwards, [244]
• Greenfinch, at straw-stack in winter, [199], [201];
• feeding within three feet, [201], [202];
• manner of feeding, [202];
• manner of fighting, [210].
• Feeding on seeds of exotic fir, [231], [232], [233], [234], [235];
• manner of loosening the seeds, [231], [232], [233], [235], [236];
• curious noise made with beak in so doing, [231], [232], [233];
• and with wings on the fir-needles, [234].
• An example of sexual selection acting in two directions, [318]
• Guillemots, diving of, [152];
• arrangement of, on ledge, [182], [183];
• disparity in time of laying, [183];
• affectionate conduct of paired birds, [183], [184];
• attention paid to young, [184];
• feeding of young, [184], [185], [189].
• Incubate with face turned to cliff, [185];
• suggested explanation of this, [185].
• Lethargy of chicks, [186].
• Fish carried to young in beak, [186];
• and are often headless, [186], [188];
• held lengthways, [187].
• Coquetry with fish, [187], [188];
• quarrelling of married birds with fish, [188], [189];
• birds with fish attacked, etc., [189], [190].
• Combats, frequency and character of, [190];
• suggested explanation of, [190].
• Preening and helping to clean each other's feet, [191], [192];
• fighting, usual cause of, [192];
• manner of, [192], [193];
• a fight on the brink, [193];
• will fight whilst incubating, [193], [194];
• no respect paid to incubating birds, [194];
• management of egg during incubation, [194];
• possible trace of lost nest-building instinct, [195];
• attitudes assumed, [195];
• resemblance to human beings, [195], [196];
• stones procured and swallowed, [196];
• life on a guillemot ledge, notes of, [196], [197], [198]
• Guillemot, Black, way of diving, [148];
• appearance under water, [148];
• appearance and character, [149];
• the dabchick of ocean, [148];
• a fair flier, [149];
• manner of fighting, [149], [150];
• and of bathing, [171]
• Gulls, Black-backed, best watched on island where they breed, [96];
• arrangement of, etc., on the gullery, [97];
• nuptial habits, antics, etc., [97], [98], [111], [112];
• nest-building of, [103], [104], [105];
• fighting of females when collecting materials for the nest, [104], [105];
• fighting of males, [105], [106], [107];
• a gull melodrama, [105], [106];
• fighting of two causing excitement amongst others, [107];
• fighting not specialised, [108];
• importunity of female, [112];
• larger size of male, [113];
• persecution of, by Arctic skua, [113], [114], [115];
• habit of forcing each other or other gulls to disgorge fish incipient, [118], [119];
• come near to attacking one, on one's approaching their nest, [121];
• mode of attack ineffective, [122]
• Gulls, Herring, fighting of, [108], [109];
• power of retaining a mental image, [110];
• curious behaviour of a pair, [110], [111];
• habit of forcing each other or other gulls to disgorge fish incipient, [118], [119];
• feed young by disgorging fish, [119], [120];
• disgorge fish for each other, [119], [120]
• Habits, variations of, more interesting than of structure, [228];
• may be marked in transitu, [229];
• plasticity of, [48]
• Hare, disturbing rooks, [227]
• Hate, oneself, a good way to, [335]
• Hedge-sparrow, at straw-stacks in winter, [201], [202]
• Heine, allusion of to the nightingale, [313]
• Heron, must wait a little, [337]
• Herring, going a progress twice, [116].
• Head absent in those disgorged by great skua for its young, [116], [117];
• possible explanations of this, [117], [118].
• Profusion of, brought by great skua for its young, [118]
• Homer, may be caught up by a butterfly, [335]
• Hooded Crow, flying with peewits, [27], [28];
• frolicking or skirmishing with raven, [137];
• curious antics of, [137], [138];
• flying with rooks, [296];
• consorting with rooks in the fields, [296];
• may sometimes roost with rooks, [296];
• when with rooks acts as though of the same species, [296]
• Hudson, Mr, views of, referred to, [79], [80], [81]
• Kestrel, importunity of female, [112]
• Kittiwakes, habit of forcing each other or other gulls to disgorge fish incipient, [118];
• will turn to bay and drive off Arctic skua, [128];
• roosting in extraordinary numbers, [197], [198]
• Language, idea as to origin of, suggested by rooks, [288], [289]
• Larks (see [Skylark])
• Life, study of, as important as that of death, [332]
• Linnet, an example of sexual selection acting in two directions, [318]
• Lyre-bird, an example of a highly adorned species which is also musical, [334]
• Merganser, manner of diving of, [153], [154]
• Meves, M., on cause of bleating in the snipe, [53]
• Moor-hen, becoming a partridge or plover, [48];
• an orchestra of peculiar brazen instruments, [57].
• Manner of diving of, [156], [157], [158];
• habit of, may be becoming established, [158];
• and may differ in different localities, [158].
• Browses grass, [227];
• wariness of, [226];
• power of drawing an inference, [227];
• independent spirit and originality, [227], [228]
• Naturalist in La Plata, referred to, [79], [80], [81]
• Nightingale, male not singing much during nest-building, [307];
• song of, a vehicle of hatred and rivalry, [308].
• Conduct of rival males, [308], [309];
• similar to wheatears, [308].
• Conduct of female during combats of rival males, [309], [310];
• croaking notes of, [310].
• Song probably founded on these, [310];
• which would account for its low key, [312];
• how differing from that of thrush, blackcap, skylark, etc., [312];
• does not include every excellence, [312];
• frequent pauses in, [312];
• when at its best, [313];
• effect of, on Heine, [313];
• and on others, [313];
• sometimes mistaken for that of thrush, [313], [314];
• by day not more noticed than that of lark or thrush, [314];
• some of effect of due to night and silence, [314], [315].
• Sobriety of colouring exaggerated, [316];
• brightness of tail, [316];
• ruddy patch on, [316], [317];
• glossy appearance of, [317], [318];
• example of a bird doubly distinguished, [317];
• may be getting brighter, [318];
• pictures of, in natural history books, [318];
• real appearance of, [319];
• sings without pose, [319];
• and sometimes on ground, [319];
• Milton fortunately not familiar with, [319];
• female alone builds nest, [319];
• is attended by male, [319]
• Nightjar, sound with the wings made by, [52];
• movements of, to protect young, [60], [61];
• seem result of nervous shock or mental disturbance, [61];
• twitching of muscles of throat of, [179];
• must wait a little, [337]
• Night-raven, possible origin of idea of, [288]
• Nut-hatch, feeding on seeds of exotic fir, [231], [232], [233], [234], [235];
• manner of loosening the seeds of, [233], [235]
• Organisms, plasticity of, [48]
• Ostrich, courting or nuptial antics of male, [169];
• incubation shared by the sexes, [169]
• Partridge, movements of, to protect young, [60], [61].
• At straw-stack, [199], [205];
• coming down to, on a winter morning, [205].
• Soft sounds made by, [205]
• Peacocks, shot in India, [206]
• Peewit, cry of, [25];
• somersaults thrown by, [26];
• sound made with wings, [27];
• bridal dances of, [26], [27];
• flying with hooded crow, [27], [28].
• Attacking hen pheasant, [27];
• and moor-hen, [28].
• Call-note on ground, [28], [29], [30];
• sporting of two, [30], [31];
• upward sweep in flight, [31], [32];
• understudying of one another, [32];
• aerial combats possible, [33], [42];
• aerial evolutions, remarks on, [33], [34];
• feigning broken wing not observed, [66];
• three flying together, remarks on, etc., [83], [84], [85], [86];
• roll over of compared with that of raven, [263]
• Penguins, flight, how lost by, [151];
• manner of diving of, [152]
• People, mental approach of some, [223];
• not explained by such terms as insight, intuition, perception, affinity, etc., [223]
• Φημη, Greek idea of the, [219];
• brought to mind by watching birds, [220], [221], [294]
• Pheasants, timidity shown by males in fighting, [75];
• at straw-stack in winter, [199], [205];
• beauty of male, [206].
• Curious low notes and piping sounds of, [207];
• not quite so soft as those of partridges, [207].
• Timidity of, tempered by judgment and individual temperament, [207];
• conduct of, when small birds fly off, [207], [208];
• males agree together, feeding, [208];
• roosting of dove-tailing with last flight home of rooks, [261], [262];
• trying to look like a soldier, [283], [284];
• dull plumage of hen representing that of progenitor of the family, [310], [311]
• Pigeons, twitching of muscles of throat of, [180]
• Puffin, diving of, [152];
• disparity in time of laying, [183];
• carrying fish crosswise in beak, [187]
• Rabbit, with young in sandpit, [328], [329]
• Ravens, molested by gulls, [129];
• at first not impressed by, [129];
• peculiar croak of, [130];
• appearance, etc., of nest of, [130];
• behaviour of young in nest, [130], [131];
• attempts to see feed young unsuccessful, [132];
• add no effect to precipice, [134];
• plumage of, [134];
• look black at a little distance, [134];
• ordinary flight not majestic, [134];
• shape of wings of, [134], [135];
• effect of number of, over battlefield, [135].
• Curious doubtful if these are nuptial, [138];
• antics in the air of, [136], [137].
• Skirmishing with gulls, [137];
• skirmishing or frolicking with hooded crow, [137];
• devoted guardians of young, [138];
• cunning plan adopted by, [138], [139]
• Raven Mother, the real one, [133];
• appearance and behaviour of, [133], [134]
• Razorbills, manner, etc., of diving of, [151], [152];
• fish, how carried in beak by, [187]
• Redshanks, handsomer flying than when on ground, [23], [24];
• courting actions of male, [24].
• Aerial and aquatic combats of, [36], [37];
• at first mistaken as to nature of these, [37]
• Richardson's Skua, objected to as a title, [61]
• Ring Plover, nuptial flight of, [21], [22];
• courting actions of male on ground, [22], [23]
• Robin, becoming wagtail or stilt-walker, [48];
• how it may develop in the future, [229];
• occasional aquatic habits of, out of character, [229], [230];
• has two figures, [230];
• a part of most landscapes, [230], [231];
• looks different in different places, [231];
• an example of sexual selection acting in two directions [318]
• Rooks, importunity of female, [112];
• simultaneous flights, etc., of, [210], [292], [293], [294];
• winter rookery or roosting-place of, [258], [259], [278], [280];
• crowd of better than crowd of men, [259];
• aerial evolutions, sports, gambols, manœuvres, etc., of, [259], [260], [262], [263], [264], [265], [268], [269], [270], [271], [280], [295];
• peculiar burring note of, [260], [282], [283];
• powers of flight possessed by, [260], [271];
• flight full of effects, [271];
• how associated with starlings, [261];
• chirruppy or croodling note of, [261], [268], [269];
• last flight of, dove-tailing with roosting of pheasants, [261], [262];
• roll over of, compared with that of ravens, [263];
• two great assemblages of, manœuvrings and different conduct of, [262], [264], [265];
• difficulty of supposing that they are led, [213], [265], [266];
• if led, should be so habitually, [266], [267];
• evidence against theory of leadership, [267], [268], [269], [270], [284], [285];
• the caw the business note of, [268];
• two bands flying at different elevations, [270];
• flight of, at great elevation different to usual flight, [270], [271];
• conclusion against theory of leadership, [271], [273];
• supposed to employ sentinels, [271];
• evidence as to and conclusion against their doing so, [272], [273];
• vast assemblage of, [274], [277], [278];
• fighting of, [274], [275], [276], [277];
• disturbed by hare, [277];
• lullaby of, [278], [281];
• return of, to winter rookery in evening, [274], [277], [278], [280], [281], [292], [294], [295], [296], [297], [298], [299];
• various cries of, [281], [283], [284], [286], [288], [291], [292], [299], [300].
• Whishing noise made by, [281], [282], [295];
• doubt as to how produced, [282].
• "Burring" note of, [282], [283];
• morning flight of, from winter rookery, [283], [284], [285], [292];
• voice of, pleasing and expressive, [283];
• talk kind of Chinese, [284];
• tits flying with, [284];
• some staying back after general flight out, [285];
• actions of, governed by two leading principles, [285];
• unknown force suggested by movements of, [285], [286];
• some movements of, may be due to thought-transference or collective thinking, [287];
• may be origin of the night-raven, [287], [288];
• origin of language suggested by, [288], [289];
• zones of sound and silence amongst, [289], [290];
• notes of, best described as talking, [291];
• method of yawning of, [291], [292];
• φημη the idea of the, applied to, [294];
• psychical state of during the heimkehr, [295];
• wonderful scene of excitement amongst, [294], [295], [296].
• Found dead in plantation, [295], [296];
• possible reason and theory of keeper in regard to this, [296].
• Non-collision of, wonderful, [295];
• consort with hooded crows in fields, [296];
• resembling storm-cloud and rain, [298];
• seem as though evolving a language, [299];
• powers of modulation and inflexion in voice of, [299];
• voice of, unjustly spoken of, [299];
• vocabulary of notes of, [299], [300]
• Rules, to be guided by in watching birds, [248], [249]
• Sand-martins, manner of excavating tunnels, [323], [326], [327], [328];
• both sexes excavate, [323], [324].
• Sometimes work socially, [324];
• but not as do insects, [324].
• Make simultaneous flights from cliff, [324], [325];
• sometimes fight fiercely, [325];
• are victimised by sparrows and tree-sparrows, [325];
• length of their tunnels, [326]
• Scientific men, indifference of, to extermination, [333]
• Sexual selection, as conceived by Darwin, [25];
• antics, etc., not in the nature of display, no evidence against, [79];
• as having modified some birds both in voice and plumage, [318]
• Shags (see also [Cormorant]), power of ejecting excrement to distance possessed by, [131];
• how useful to the bird, [131], [132];
• nest of, [131].
• Manner of diving of, [153];
• dive uniformly, [156];
• amiable character of, [163], [165];
• courtship, love-making of, etc., [166], [167], [168], [169], [170];
• courting antics like those of the ostrich, but with significant difference, [169], [170];
• habit of opening and shutting bill at each other, [170], [176], [177];
• bathing of, [170];
• gargoyle idylls of, [171], [172], [173], [174], [175], [176], [177], [178], [179], [180], [181];
• tendency of, to ornament nest, [174], [175], [176];
• change on the nest of, [175], [176], [177];
• feeding the young, [177], [178], [179];
• twitching muscles of the throat, [179], [180];
• character, etc., of the young, [180];
• guarding the nest and affairs of honour, [181], [182];
• manner of fighting, [181]
• Skua, Arctic, diverting attention from eggs or young, [61];
• persecutes gulls, [113], [114], [127];
• is safe from retributive justice, [114];
• said only to eat fish robbed from gulls, [114];
• probability that it would feed by piracy exclusively, [115];
• not seen stooping on fish in water, [115];
• disgorge fish for each other, [120], [121];
• attacks those approaching its nest, [121];
• swoop made in silence, [121];
• mode of attack, [122], [123];
• blow with feet ineffective, [123];
• both birds often attack, but more usually only one, [125].
• Combines fraud with force, [125];
• theory as to this, [125].
• Polymorphism of, [126], [127];
• sexual selection suggested as an explanation, [126], [127].
• Seems bolder and more aggressive than the great skua, [127];
• driven off by kittiwake, [127], [128];
• feared more by gulls than the great skua, [128];
• extreme boldness of, [139];
• chased by curlews, [139]
• Skua, Great, nuptial habits, antics, etc., [98], [99], [101], [102];
• powers of flight, [99];
• flight seen to best advantage at sea, [99], [100];
• nest, [103];
• said only to eat fish robbed from gulls, and secured in mid-air, [114];
• would probably feed by piracy exclusively, [115];
• not seen stooping on fish in water, [115];
• young fed entirely on disgorged herrings, [115];
• nesting habits difficult to observe, [115], [116];
• probably eats heads of herrings disgorged for young, [117], [118];
• has no reason to vary diet during breeding-season, as asserted, [118];
• suggested origin of its specialised method of feeding, [118], [119];
• attacks those approaching its nest, [121];
• makes swoop in silence, but utters cry whilst circling between each, [121];
• blow with feet ineffective, [122];
• attacks almost indefinitely, [122];
• mode of attack, [123], [124].
• Attack made by both sexes, [124];
• an exception noted, [124], [125];
• theory in regard to this, [125].
• Feared less by gulls than Arctic skua, [128];
• mobbed by gulls, [128]
• Skylarks, aerial combats of, [35], [36];
• impressive hops of male in courtship, [49];
• song of, how differing from the nightingale's, [312];
• effect of if heard at night, [314]
• Snipe, a familiar example of instrumental music during flight, [52];
• modification of tail-feathers by sexual selection, [53];
• wings apparent but not real cause of bleating, [53], [54], [55];
• different ways of descending to earth, [53], [55], [56];
• different modes of flight, [54];
• see-saw or "chack-wood" note, [54], [56];
• swishing of wings, [56];
• extraordinary notes of, [57].
• Tail feathers less modified in female, and producing a different bleat, [57];
• but difference not great, [57], [58].
• Individual differences in bleat, [57], [58];
• flying in circles, [58];
• bleat best in morning and evening, [58];
• flight difficult to follow, [58];
• private allotment in fields of air, [58];
• bleating of males against each other, [59];
• bleating of male and female to each other, [59];
• bleating of one answered vocally by the other on ground, [59].
• Extraordinary movements when alarmed during incubation, [60], [61];
• theory with regard to these, [63], [64]
• Sparrows, seize burrows of sand-martins, [325];
• creditable motives of, in so doing, [325], [326]
• Sparrows, Tree, at straw-stack in winter, [199];
• seize burrows of sand-martins, [325]
• Species, knowledge lost by destruction of any, [333]
• Specific life, any, of more value than most individual ones, [334]
• Spiders, if they had their Phidiases, [52]
• Spur-winged Lapwing, curious performances of, [81], [82];
• suggested origin of, [82], [83], [84], [85], [86], [87], [88], [89], [90], [91], [92], [93], [94], [95]
• Starlings, acting as fly-catchers, [8], [48];
• and as wood-peckers, [48].
• Manner of feeding, [9];
• at straw-stack in winter, [199], [204], [205];
• fighting with hen blackbird, [204];
• fighting with each other, [204], [205].
• Their simultaneous flights, [210], [214], [215];
• difficulty of explaining these and suggestions as to, [214], [215].
• How associated with rooks, [261]
• Stock-doves, their aerial combats, [38], [39];
• arising sometimes out of the ground-tourney, [41], [42].
• Their ground-tourneys, [39], [40], [41];
• bowing of fighting birds to each other, [39], [40], [41];
• fighting of male and female, [42], [43];
• courting bow of male to female, [43], [44], [45];
• bowing of female to male, [43], [44];
• bow silent or accompanying note subdued, [45];
• court on trees or on ground, [45];
• their nuptial flights in early morning, [46], [47];
• make nest in rabbit-burrows, [47]
• Structure, slight changes of, not easy to see, [229]
• Thought-transference, as possible explanation of some movements of birds and other animals, [219], [220], [221], [222], [223], [286], [287], [289], [290], [292], [293], [294];
• a retarding influence, [222];
• in man, may be reversion to more primitive method of intercommunion, [223];
• may be, in some ways, superior to speech [223]
• Thrush, Song of, how differing from the nightingale's, [312];
• mistaken for the nightingale's, [313], [314];
• effect of if heard at night, [314]
• Tit, Blue, at straw-stack in winter, [199], [202];
• acts like tree-creeper, [236], [237], [238], [239].
• Ascends trunk perpendicularly, [237];
• suggested explanation of this, [242], [243].
• Descends trunk head downwards assisted by wings, [237], [238], [245];
• suggested explanation, [245].
• His hardiness, [247], [248];
• eats buds rather than insects in them, [248], [249];
• attacked by bullfinch, [250];
• feeds on catkins of alder or insects in them, [251], [253];
• his tiring-room and banqueting-hall, [253];
• drive each other from catkins of alder, [253];
• flying with rooks, [284]
• Tit, Coal, attacks fir-cones, [231];
• manner of holding them, [251].
• Ascends tree-trunks as does blue-tit, [252]
• Tits, Long-tailed, nest-building, [320], [321];
• "chit, chit" note, [320], [321];
• roosting together, [321], [322], [323];
• returning to roost in same place, [322], [323];
• their prettiness, [320], [321]
• Tit, Great, feeding on seeds of exotic fir, [231], [232], [233], [234], [235];
• manner of loosening the seeds, [232], [235].
• Probably eats seeds of indigenous firs, [252]
• Tree, old, winter foliage of, [201]
• Tree-creeper, becoming a fly-catcher, [48].
• Flies downwards from tree-trunk, [240];
• but not invariably, [241];
• suggested origin of the habit, [241].
• Spiral ascent not so general as asserted, [241], [242];
• often ascends perpendicularly, [242];
• suggested origin of spiral ascent, [242], [243].
• Said never to descend trunk, [241], [244];
• but can descend backwards, [244];
• interesting to watch, [246];
• skill in using beak, etc., [246];
• sometimes acts like fly-catcher, [247];
• his æsthetic beauty, [247];
• his hardiness, [247]
• Trogons, shot in Mexico, [206]
• Turtle-dove, courting of male on ground or in trees, [50];
• the nuptial flight, [50], [51]
• Wagtail, must wait a little, [337]
• Warrener, how affected by beauty, [47]
• Wheatear, combats and displays of rival males, [66], [67], [68], [69], [70], [71], [72], [73], [74];
• his hopping out of character, [68];
• conduct of hen whilst fought for by rival males, [68], [69], [71], [72], [74], [78];
• chariness of fighting shown by males, [71], [74].
• Antics of males not resembling a set display, [77], [78];
• attempt to explain these and other antics of various birds, [74] et seq. (to end of chapter).
• Power of retaining a mental image, [110];
• conduct of rival males similar to that of nightingales [308]
• Wild Duck, intelligent feigning of injury to distract attention from young, [60], [62], [63];
• suggested origin of the habit, [63], [64]
• Willow-warbler, preference for birch-trees, [253];
• pretty behaviour with the catkins of, [253], [254], [255];
• reason for this possibly æsthetic, [255], [256]
• Wood-pigeons, courting of female by male on tree, [45];
• raucous note after pairing, [46];
• may hereafter lay in rabbit-burrows, [48];
• courting of female by male on ground, [48], [49];
• the clapping of wings in flight, [51];
• beauty of nuptial flight, [51], [52];
• swishing or beating of wings in flight, [52].
• Their simultaneous flights, [210];
• suggested explanation as to, [215], [216]
• Wren, acting like a tree-creeper, [48], [236], [237], [238], [239], [240].
• Ascends tree-trunks perpendicularly, [237];
• descent of doubtful, [238];
• sometimes assisted by wings, [240].
• Suggestions as to habit and mode of tree-creeping, [242], [243]
• Wren, Golden-crested, amongst pine-trees, [252];
• suggesting humming-bird, [252];
• examines pine-needles, [252], [253];
• his note, [253]
• Yellow-hammer, at straw-stack in winter, [199], [201]
• Zoologists, have been thanatologists, [224];
• prefer death to life, [332], [333]

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