Homes Without Hands: Being a Description of the Habitations of Animals, Classed According to Their Principle of Construction
CHAPTER XI.
PENSILE BIRDS.
Weaver Birds and their general Habits.—Red-billed Weaver Bird.—Its bovine Friends.—Its Use to the Buffalo.—Other parasitic Birds.—The Spotted-backed Weaver Bird.—Its Nest and variable Method of Construction.—The Manah Weaver Bird.—Shape of the Nest.—Singular Defense.—Theories respecting the Structure.—Habits of the Bird.—Remarkable Nests of Weavers.—Account of Weavers engaged in Nest-building.—Very curious Contrivance.—The Gold-capped Weaver.—Structure and Situation of the Nest.—The Tana Weaver Bird.—Locality selected for its Nest.—Destructiveness to Crops.—The Palm Swift.—Its general Habits.—The Nest and its variable Structure.—Silk-cotton.—The Tailor Bird.—Antiquity of Handicrafts.—Structure of the Nest.—The Fan-tailed Warbler.—Singular Method of fixing its Nest.—The Penduline Titmouse.—Its Habits and Food.—Remarkable Nest and its Form. Page 219
CHAPTER XII.
PENSILE BIRDS (Continued).
Australian Pensiles.—The Yellow-throated Sericornis.—Its Habits.—Singular Position for its Nest.—Conscious Security.—The Rock Warbler.—Shape and Locality of its Nest.—The Yellow-tailed Acanthiza.—Its Color and Song.—Supplementary Nests.—The Pic-pic and its Home.—Supposed Use of the supplementary Nest.—The Silvery Honey-eater and its Nest.—The Myall or Weeping Acacia.—Various Materials.—The Lunulated Honey-eater.—A new Material.—The Painted Honey-eater, its Habits and Nest.—The Art of Preservation.—Nests and their Branches.—The Color of Eggs.—The White-throated Honey-eater and its Habits.—Its curious Nest.—Locality of the Nest.—The Golden-crested Wren, and the Resemblance of its Nest to those of the Honey-eater.—The Swallow Diczum.—Its Song, and Beauty of its Plumage.—The Nest, its Materials, Form, and Position.—The Malurus and its Nest.—The Hammock Bird.—Singular Method of suspending the Nest.—The White-shafted Fantail.—Strange Form of the Nest.—The Appendage or Tail of the Nest. 234
CHAPTER XIII.
PENSILE BIRDS (Continued).
American Pensile Birds.—Humming-birds, and the general Structure of their Nests.—The Little Hermit, its Color, Habits, and Nest.—The Gray-throated Hermit and its Hardihood.—The Pigmy Hermit and its Seed-nest.—The Long-tailed Humming-bird.—Mode of building its Nest.—The White-sided Hill Star.—Curious Method of suspending its Nest.—The Sappho Comet.—The Brazilian Hill Star.—Curious Locality.—Its Habits, Food, and Nest.—The Sawbill and its singular Nest.—Habits of the Sawbill.—The Brazilian Wood Nymph.—Use made of its Plumage and its Nest.—The Ruby and Topaz Humming-bird.—Stuffed Skins.—The Azure Crown, its Color, Nest, and Habits.—The Baltimore Oriole.—Reason for its Name.—Its beautiful Nest, and curious Choice of Materials.—Familiarity of the Baltimore Oriole.—The Orchard Oriole, or Bon-o'-Linx.—Various Forms of Nest.—Why called Orchard Oriole.—The Crested Cassique, its Size, Form, and Colors.—Its remarkable Nest.—Difficulty of obtaining Nests.—The Great-crested Fly-catcher, and its use of Serpent-sloughs.—The Red-eyed Fly-catcher, Whip-Tom-Kelly.—Low 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. Page 249
CHAPTER XIV.
PENSILE INSECTS.
The Hymenoptera.—Australian Insects.—The Crematogaster and Necro-ant.—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.—Classification 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 Characteristics 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 Pterilinus.—Weevils.—Beautiful Cocoon of Cionus.—The Emperor Moth and its Home.—The Atlas Moth and other Silk Producers.—The House-builder Moth and its movable Dwelling.—The Tiger Moth and its Hammock.—The Burnet 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 Sirex. 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 conveying 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 Trap.—Its Flesh and Fur. 323
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 Chambers.—The Pied Grallina.—The Specimens at the Zoological Gardens.—Materials 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 Lining.—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.—Material 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 Illustration 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 quarrelsome 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 Zoological Gardens, and their Habits.—Love of Ornament.—Meaning of the scientific Name.—The Spotted Bower Bird of New South Wales.—Its Bower.—Description of the Birds, and their place in the present System. 344
CHAPTER XVIII.
BUILDING INSECTS.
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 Habits.—European Termites.—Their Ravages in France and Spain.—M. de Quatrefages and his History of the Termites of Rochefort and La Rochelle.—The Eumenes and its mud-built Nest.—The Trypoxylon of South America.—The Pelopæus and its curious Nest.—The Mud-dauber Wasp.—Mr. Goss's Account of its Habits.—The Mellipona 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 Agricultural 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 Freshwater 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 Watchfulness.—Singular Position of the Nest.—Habits of the Hassar. Page 392
CHAPTER XX.
SUB-AQUATIC NESTS. INVERTEBRATES.
A Pool and its Wonders.—The Water Spider.—Its sub-aquatic Nest.—Conveyance 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 Caddis.—Description of Nests in my own Collection.—Fixed Cases, and Modification of Larva.—Singular Materials for Nest-building.—Corals and their general History.—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.—Remarkable Analogy. 397
SOCIAL HABITATIONS.
CHAPTER XXI. 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 Superstition.—“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 Social Nest.—Average Number of Inhabitants.—Analogy with Dyak Houses.—Enemies 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 curious 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 produced.—Theories of different Mathematicians.—Measurement of Angles.—A logarithmic 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 favorite Localities.—Difficulties of taking a Hornet's Nest.—Habits of the Insect.—Mr. Stone's Method of taking the Nest.—The Synœca and its Habitation.—Beautiful Nests in the British Museum.—Description of the Insect.—Nest of the Eucheira.—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 Habitations of the Peach and Small Tortoise-shell Butterflies. Page 442