580 HIRUxXDO URBUA. 



straws. The next layer is of straws of various kinds, mostly 

 decayed. This is followed by a thick layer of wool, M'liich is 

 succeeded by a great quantity of hogs' bristles, cows'" hair, hu- 

 man hair, a piece of linen, a bit of tape, and a number of 

 feathers, chiefly of the domestic fowl. Other nests which I 

 have examined were similar. In general, within the outer 

 crust of mud there are two layers, the outer of straw, the inner 

 of feathers of domestic fowls, often mixed with wool, hair, and 

 other soft substances. The eggs, four or five in number, 

 are of a longish oval form, rather pointed, about nine-twelfths 

 of an inch in length, and six and a half in breadth ; their 

 colour pure white, without spots. 



The construction of the nest occupies from six to ten days. 

 Two broods are generally reared in the season, the first being 

 abroad by the beginning of July, the other about the end of 

 August. During incubation both the parents are frequently 

 seen in the nest, and at all times they repose there at night. 

 When the young are nearly fledged, they frequently appear at 

 the edge of the aperture, and are occasionally clamorous for 

 food, which is brought to them sometimes with astonishing 

 rapidity. For some days after they have left the nest, they 

 fly about in its vicinity, and are fed by their parents. It 

 is amusing to see the expedients to which recourse is often had 

 to induce them to leave the nest, the parent birds sometimes 

 pushing or dragging them out, but more frequently enticing 

 them by shewing how easy it is to fly away. Very frequently 

 the young betake themselves to the upper corner of a window 

 to rest, clinging for a short time by means of the feet and tail ; 

 and in this situation I have seen them fed. For some time after 

 they have come abroad, they return to the nest at night, repos- 

 ing there with their parents. To these particulars derived from 

 my own observation, I add the ample contributions of Mr 

 Hepburn and Mr Durham Weir. 



" The House Swallow or Martin," Mr Hepburn writes, 

 " arrives at the village of Linton, on the Tyne, in the last week 

 of April, though in 1839 a few were seen by the l7th of that 

 month. For the last two years they have not appeared at our 

 onstead before the 30th of April. They usually commence 



