THE ROMANCE OF THE ANIMAL WORLD [Illustration: AN UNEXPECTED MEAL. 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