144 THE FLEDGLINGS. 
Three days after the work was completed, the 
first egg was laid, and then one on every second 
day, until five were in the nest, and the process 
of incubation commenced. As far as I could 
observe, the eggs were never uncovered. The 
hen-bird sat by far the greater part of the time, 
but, on her leaving the nest to feed, the male 
invariably took her place. In time, five infant 
swallows—that, to perpetrate a pun, were veri- 
tably all swallow—gaped greedily for food. Hard 
the couple toiled, to feed their hungry family. As 
the little ones grew and thrived, their residence 
was too small to hold them; a daring spirit came 
with their feathers, and, becoming strong, they 
made rash attempts to scramble out on the edge 
of the nest, and there, in the most unsteady 
manner, to balance themselves until angrily 
knocked in again on the return of the old birds. 
At last they abandoned their nursery, and 
three succeeded in getting upon the pole to which 
the nest was attached, and two fell on the floor; 
and what might have been their fate I do not 
know, if the old Vulcans had not picked them up 
and placed them with their brethren. A few 
days’ training taught the fledglings the use of their 
wings; then taking their departure from the 
shanty, the family started to brave the perils of 
