164 THE FRIENDSHIP OF NATURE 



particular nest, and wears a coat which 

 marks both his sex and tribe. In 

 autumn, the vital need of these things 

 having passed, the characteristics in 

 themselves are in a measure merged, 

 and in the search for shelter and food 

 the collective instinct holds sway. 



These swallows did not feed, but 

 merely twittered, and clung to small 

 twigs, keeping their wings and tails in 

 motion, as soldiers keep step when 

 halting. For three or four minutes 

 they rested, and then came another 

 ascension, and as they flew over, their 

 wing-beats gave me the same sensation 

 as a pelting of small pebbles. 



For three days I went to watch them, 

 and finally decided that all the seem- 

 ingly useless effort of flying and 

 counterflying was, in fact, an initia- 

 tion for the young in the fatigues and 

 manoeuvres of travel, a sort of awkward 



