SWALLOWS. 97 



In the beginning of the season there ^vere three 

 nests in the spire, in all of which were second 

 broods, so it had probably been the home of the 

 whole colony, which numbered about twenty birds 

 irrespective of those in the nest. That the colony 

 should defer migrating till this late brood could 

 accompany them — which they did on the 11th of 

 October, fifteen days later than the general flight, — 

 may be set down to the clan-feeling which is so 

 characteristic of gregarious birds. During the rains 

 of the last week of September, two of the nests 

 lost their hold on the steeple and fell to the ground. 

 From one the brood had fled, but the young of the 

 other fell with the nest on the pavement below 

 and were killed. The yomig of the latest brood 

 made a narrow escape from a similar fate, the nest 

 falling shortly after their flight. The church-offlcer, 

 from whom I had this information, added : " I could 

 na ha'e been mair sorry tho* the deid swallows had 

 been my ain bairns." 



One other instance of a late brood of swallows as 

 affecting migration is not without interest, and, as 

 it made a great impression upon me, I do not scruple 

 to put it on record. On the last day but one of 

 September, 1878, I was attracted by a crowd of boys 

 to a nest of young swallows in the window of a 

 house in a very unromantic street-corner at CrosshilL 

 A body of swallows were on the move, and 

 were evidently intent on luring away the brood from 

 this nest. They soared in the air, sat on the roofs 

 of the houses, and screamed past the nest, wdiich 

 they sometimes literally covered, holding on to it 

 with their claws, and addressed the inmates in en- 

 dearing terms. One of the young birds ventured 

 forth and stood on the edge of the nest. He wa& 

 vain to a degree, and kept elevating his wings and 

 picking at his tail as if he had unexpectedly come 

 into the enjoyment of new possessions. He dropped 

 into the crowd, which so increased the chorus of 

 screaming and chittering that without having been 



