The Nesting of African Birds in Association with other Living Things

Abstract

A MASS of evidence on the nesting associations of birds with social insects was brought together from all parts of the world and discussed by Myers (1929, 1935). His records were re-analyzed, with the addition of some for Africa, by Moreau (1936), since when a quantity of other African data, to be cited below, has come to light. It seems worth while to re-open the discussion, partly in the hope that this very interesting feature of bird biology may receive more critical attention in the field in future and partly to take the opportunity of adducing for comparison what is known of the nesting of African birds in association with animals of other classes besides insects. The records in. this paper are, therefore, arranged in four groups of associations