My Summer Tenants 



97 



IXSPECTIi 



the vacated nest, was surprised 

 to tind among the feathers a des- 

 sicated bird that had died when 

 quite small. Perhaps the parents 

 were reluctant to leave behind 

 one of that happy family. 



Both families have long since 

 joined the great army of their 

 own species, — the earliest of all 

 the birds to leave for the South. 

 Another winter has passed, and 

 another spring-time has come. 

 It is time now for the Swallows 

 to return to their old box. 

 Already the Bluebirds have come 

 back. They were seen yesterday, 

 stealing feathers from the Swal- 

 lows' nest. But these may not 

 object, to find that their old ene- 

 mies have cleaned house for them. 



other, they fall to the ground, too ex- 

 hausted to try another round. Besides 

 •guarding the home, the father bird took 

 his share of the work in supplying the 

 iiun<ir\- ncstliii,i^> with l)Uj<> and flies. 

 During tlu- hoi weatlu'r, the mother 

 brought water in her hill for the thirsty 

 birds, and sometimes she varied the diet 

 of insects with a small piece of gravel 

 from the road, probabl}- in place of pep- 

 sin, to aid digestion. 



During this time the birds in the other 

 box were engaged in similar emplo\- 

 ments. With them, also, were six young 

 birds constantly clamoring for attention. 

 On the third of Jul\-, five well-feathered 

 birds left the ]jole on the box, to shift 

 for themselves. And the landlord, wonder- 

 ing why the parent birds kept entering 



SELECTION 



