Chapter I: Front Matter

THE ROMANCE OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

The peccary stood on the alligator’s tail, mistaking it for a tree trunk. In a moment the alligator stretched its tail round like a bow almost to its side: suddenly it let go, and whilst the peccary thus shot up was still in mid-air, it swung its terrible tail again, and knocked its now insensible prey almost into its own jaws.

_Frontispiece_—see p. 216.]

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