SWALLOW TRIBE. 43 



destructioD, certainly affords strong presumptive 

 evidence in its favour. 



The frequent desertion of their last hatched 

 broods by the swallow, house-martin, and sand- 

 martin, which is too well authenticated to admit 

 of a doubt, must appear surprising to every one ; 

 but particularly so to those who are aware, how 

 highly the parental feelings of the featliered 

 tribes are excited during the breeding season. 

 Few people are ignorant of the care and atten- 

 tion bestowed upon their offspring, by our do- 

 mestic fow^s ; and that t,he winged inhabitants of 

 the fields and woods, are, in their wild state, no 

 less attached to their progeny than the reclaimed 

 inmates of the poultry-yard, may be inferred 

 from the following examples. 



Eai;ly in August, ,1825, a neighbour took a 

 young cuckoo out of a titlark's nest; an^, carry- 

 ing it home with him, put it into a cage, which 

 he hung in a pear-tree in his garden. The foster- 

 parents, speedily discovering where their nurs- 

 ling was confined, notwithstanding the distance 

 of the place from its former abode could not be 

 less than three-quarters of a mile, proceeded 

 with every demonstration of delight to supply 

 its immediate wants, and continued to provide it 

 with food till it was unfortunately killed by a 



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