THE ROMANCE OF
THE ANIMAL WORLD
INTERESTING DESCRIPTIONS OF
THE STRANGE & CURIOUS IN
NATURAL HISTORY
BY
EDMUND SELOUS
AUTHOR OF
“BIRD WATCHING,” ETC. ETC.
WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY
LANCELOT SPEED & S. T. DADD
PHILADELPHIA
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
LONDON: SEELEY & CO. Ltd.
1905
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | |
| A MICROSCOPIC COMBAT—A SNAIL’S FRIENDSHIP—HERMIT-CRAB AND SEA-ANEMONE IN PARTNERSHIP—A CRAB IN AMBUSH—CRABS THAT EAT COCOANUTS | [Page 1] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| NATURE’S PARASITES—PUSS-MOTH CATERPILLAR AND ICHNEUMON-FLY—CATERPILLAR DEFENCES—WASPS AND THEIR VICTIMS—A SPIDER CAUGHT—ANTS THAT ARE OGRES—OSPREY AND EAGLE—GULLS AND SKUAS—PEEWIT AND BLACK-HEADED GULL | [26] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| PENGUINS AND THEIR WAYS—UNCROWNED KINGS AND EMPERORS—INNOCENT ARMIES—SURF MISSED IN A BASIN—DARWIN AND THE PENGUIN—HARANGUING THE PENGUINNERY | [39] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| WONDERFUL BIRDS’-NESTS—A CITY OF GRASS—BIRD WEAVERS AND TAILORS—BIRDS THAT MAKE POTTERY—EVOLUTION IN BIRD-ARCHITECTURE | [49] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| BOWER-BIRDS AND GARDENER-BIRDS—HOW BIRDS SHOW OFF—A MALAY TRAP—CRIMSON COMPETITION—LOVE IN A TREE-TOP | [59] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
| BIZCACHAS AND BIZCACHERAS—INTERESTED NEIGHBOURS—A PROVIDENT MOTHER—PRAIRIE-DOGS AND RATTLESNAKES—OWLS THAT LIVE IN BURROWS | [73] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
| THE PUMA AND THE JAGUAR—TWO FIERCE ENEMIES—A STRANGE ATTACHMENT—A NIGHT ON THE PAMPAS—THE STORY OF MALDONADA | [81] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| BEES AND ANTS—A ROBBER MOTH—ANTS THAT KEEP COWS AND SLAVES—ANTS THAT ARE HONEY-POTS—ANTS THAT SOW AND REAP | [90] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
| ANT ARMIES—A SNAKE’S PRECAUTION—WONDERFUL BRIDGES AND TUNNELS—MUSHROOM-GROWING ANTS | [103] |
| CHAPTER X | |
| WHITE ANTS AND THEIR ARCHITECTURE—VERY WONDERFUL NESTS—“A PRISON AND A PALACE”—THE AARD VARK AND THE ANT-EATER—HOW ANTS ARE TRAPPED | [118] |
| CHAPTER XI | |
| AQUATIC ARCHERY—THE ANGLER-FISH AND THE CUTTLEFISH—INSECT ARTILLERY—EELS THAT GIVE ELECTRIC SHOCKS | [130] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
| PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE IN NATURE—SPIDERS THAT LOOK LIKE ANTS—A TRAP TO CATCH A BUTTERFLY—FALSE DEVOTEES—LEAF, STICK, AND GRASS-RESEMBLING INSECTS—“CUCULLUS NON FACIT MONACHUM” | [141] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
| SPIDERS AND THEIR WEBS—TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS—SPIDERS THAT EAT BIRDS—AQUATIC SPIDERS—BORN IN A DIVING-BELL | [158] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
| BEAVERS AND THEIR WORK—THE DAM AND THE POND—PRACTICE WITHOUT PRINCIPLES—A USEFUL TAIL—HOW BEAVERS CUT DOWN TREES | [174] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
| BEAVER “LODGES”—PRIMITIVE BEAVERS—INDIAN BEAVER-STORIES—AN ARABIAN NATURALIST | [182] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
| BEAVER-CANALS AND BEAVER-MEADOWS—ANTIQUITY OF BEAVER-WORKS—BEAVERS AND RAILWAY COMPANIES—WHITE BEAVERS | [192] |
| CHAPTER XVII | |
| SEALS AND THEIR WAYS—BREEDING HABITS OF THE SEA-BEAR—SEA-ELEPHANTS—THE WALRUS AND THE POLAR BEAR—MATERNAL AFFECTION UTILISED—A WINTER SLEEP IN A SNOW-HOUSE—A DANGEROUS INTRUSION—BREAKFAST WITH AN ALLIGATOR—THE CROCODILE AND THE TROCHILUS | [201] |
| CHAPTER XVIII | |
| CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS—DECEPTIVE APPEARANCES—AN UNFORTUNATE PECCARY—AN AMBUSH BY THE RIVER—LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLES | [215] |
| CHAPTER XIX | |
| JAGUARS AND PECCARIES—A FOREST DRAMA—STRENGTH IN NUMBERS—RETALIATION | [223] |
| CHAPTER XX | |
| THE GREAT CACHALOT OR SPERM-WHALE—HOW THE BULLS FIGHT—A BATTLE OF MONSTERS—GIANTS THAT EAT GIANTS—ENORMOUS CUTTLEFISH—THE KRAKEN A REALITY—DISAPPOINTED PROFESSORS | [231] |
| CHAPTER XXI | |
| WHALES AND THEIR ENEMIES—THE THRESHER AND THE SWORD-FISH—SPORT AMONGST ANIMALS—THE SWORD-FISH AND ITS WAYS—CANNIBALISM IN NATURE—THE SHARK AND THE PILOT-FISH | [243] |
| CHAPTER XXII | |
| THE SHARK’S ATTACHÉ—QUEER WAYS OF FISHING—HINTS FOR NAVAL WARFARE—FISH THAT DO FLY | [256] |
| CHAPTER XXIII | |
| THE SEA-SERPENT—MANY OCCASIONS ON WHICH IT HAS BEEN SEEN—CONSCIENTIOUS SCEPTICISM OF SCIENTIFIC MEN—A FIGHT BETWEEN MONSTERS—THE LARGEST LAND-SERPENT—SNAKES AND SNAKE-STONES—MEDICAL EVIDENCE—A COLONIAL REMEDY | [267] |
| CHAPTER XXIV | |
| HUNTING RUSES AMONGST THE HIGHER ANIMALS—WOLVES, FOXES, AND JACKALS—UNTEMPERED JUSTICE—GESTURE-LANGUAGE IN MEN AND DOGS—THE CAPE HUNTING-DOG AND HIS PREY | [279] |
| CHAPTER XXV | |
| MAN AND BEAST IN THE FAR NORTH—TRAPS THAT ARE SEEN THROUGH—A NEW DISCOVERY—CUNNING OF ARCTIC FOXES—THE TRAPPER AND THE WOLVERINE | [294] |
| CHAPTER XXVI | |
| MAN-EATING ANIMALS—THE TIGER’S SLAVE—A SAVAGE LION-HUNT—WOLF-REARED CHILDREN—MEN AND APES—A SHAM GORILLA—UNPROHIBITED MURDER—A MONKEY’S MALISON | [308] |