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after its winter-sojourn in southern lands, and generally reaching 

 England about the first week in April, it at once repairs to its old 

 quarters, nearly always around the abodes of men ; and about a 

 month later, the site of the nest is chosen, resort being had in most 

 cases to the very spot that has formerly served the same purpose — 

 the old structure, if still remaining, being restored and refurnished. 

 So trustful is the bird, that it commonly establishes itself in any of 

 men's works that will supply the necessary accommodation, and a 

 shed, a barn or any building with an open roof, a chimney^ that 

 affords a support for the nest, or even the room of an inhabited 

 house — if chance should give free access thereto — to say nothing of 

 extraordinary positions, may be the place of its choice. Where- 

 soever placed, the nest is formed of small lumps of moist earth, 

 which, carried to the spot in the bird's bill, are duly arranged and 

 modelled, with the aid of short straws or slender sticks, into the 

 required shape. This is generally that of a half-saucer, but it varies 

 according to the exigencies of the site." The materials dry quickly 

 into a hard crust, which is lined with soft feathers, and therein are 

 laid from four to six white eggs, blotched and speckled with grey 

 and orange-brown deepening into black. Two broods are usually 

 reared in the season, and the young on leaving the nest soon make 

 their way to some leafless bough, whence they try their powers of 

 flight, at first accompanying their parents in short excursions on 

 the wing, receiving from them the food they themselves are as yet 

 unable to capture, until able to shift for themselves. They collect 

 in flocks, often of many hundreds, and finally leave the country 

 about the end of August or early in September, to be followed, 

 after a few weeks, by their progenitors. The Swallows of Europe 

 doubtless pass into Africa far beyond the equator,^ and those of 

 Northern Asia, H. guUuralis and H. tytleri, though many stop in 



been that a generic term, to be valid, must be defined. In the absence of 

 definition such a term may be, by courtesy, occasionally accepted ; but this 

 courtesy has never been, nor except in America is likely to be, extended to the 

 misapplication here in question. 



^ Hence the common English name of " Chimney -Swallow." In North 

 America it is usually the "Barn-Swallow," as in Sweden. 



^ In 1870 M. Pouchet announced to the French Academy of Science {Comptes 

 Rcndus, Ixx. p. 492) that the " Hirondelles" building in the new part of Eouen 

 had adapted themselves to the modern style of architecture there used, and so 

 saved much of the mud which was necessary when they built in the old part of the 

 city, whence he inferred that they had reasoning powers. It fell to M. Noulet 

 (o^x cit. Ixxi. p. 77) to shew this was an illusion : the Hirondelles of the new 

 town were R. rustica, those of the old H. or Chelidon urbica ! {Of. Ann. N. H. 

 ser. 4, V. p. 307, vi. p. 270 ; and Yarrell, Br. B. ed. 4, ii. p. 350, note. ) 



^ It must be noted that the Swallow has been observed in England in every 

 month of the year ; but its appearance from the beginning of December to the 

 middle of March is an extremely rare occurrence. 



