34 The Ottawa Naturalist. [May 



went off in a rage to hunt her up. In a moment the opportunity 

 those wrens had been days in waiting for came and before I knew 

 what was going on, the four swallows' eggs were lying on the 

 verandah floor and a most delighted wren was standing on the 

 edge of the nest with his head on one side looking down at them. 



I was so sorry for the young swallows when they came home 

 and talked it over that I went off to the nearest Traill's fly- 

 catcher's nest and divided up, giving my swallows two nearly 

 hatched eggs. The next day the same thing happened again, 

 showing that the wrens had now got an idea and were going to 

 watch closely enough to carry it out at a moment's notice. 

 I began to be afraid the swallows would think the place un- 

 lucky if they lost their first family, so I set out at once, and, to 

 make quite sure this time, I gave them a nearly hatched king- 

 bird's egg. This they hatched before either of them had for- 

 gotten to go home in time, in fact it hatched within a few hours. 



This was rough on the young kingbird, and on the young 

 couple too, for the only idea of the latter was to get flies, and lots 

 of flies, and more flies, and to cram them down the throat of the 

 young bird and also to be as quick as possible about it. 



The young kingbird grew as fast as possible; but his ap- 

 petite never quite satisfied the supposed parents. I've seen 

 them hold a consultation as to its loss of appetite (the thing had 

 been gorging incessantly for five hours). Then one swallow 

 would poke the baby up into a sitting posture and pry open the 

 beak while the other watched his chance to cram down another 

 daddy longlegs. This affair ended, as far as I could see, in 

 absolute disgust on both sides ; as soon as the kingbird was able 

 to leave, it left; it didn't sit in a long bow on the nearest tree 

 while the swallows fed it in the sun. And the swallows were 

 apparently so much annoyed about it that they migrated without 

 waiting for autumn. If they come back next year I may let 

 you know what kind of birds they rear. Shall I make it wrens 

 or eagles ! 



