126 Transactions of the [Sess. 



table, afterwards flew ■ to Hs cage for some seed and water, and 

 departed through the open window, paying us another visit during 

 dessert. I never saw any bird so utterly free from fear. He used to 

 make a pretence of building by collecting in his beak small bits of 

 worsted spread about for him on the floor, but it was not known 

 whether he ever entered on the matrimonial state. At any rate, if he 

 did, he never had the courtesy to introduce his spouse to his friends. 

 He slept out of doors in the summer, and in a corner of the dining- 

 room in the winter. He seemed not afraid, but angry, when caught 

 in the hand, and screamed and pecked till released. He continued 

 an inmate of the house for more than two years, when he disappeared. 

 Whether he had lived the span of Sparrow life, or become a victim to 

 some prowling cat or sharp-eyed hawk, we can never know. 



That Swallows are great benefactors to man there can be no doubt, 

 as their food is exclusively winged insects, and some of these, in their 

 larval state, most destructive to vegetation. I will content myself 

 with mentioning only one species of insects to wliich they are most 

 partial, namely, the large Tipida oleracea, commonly known as 

 "Daddy Long-legs." This large gnat, in its larval state, is vrell 

 known to be very destructive to farmers' root-crops, especially to 

 turnips. "Walking one day with Mr Scot Skirving, he pointed out 

 a turnip-plant withering away, and told me we should find one of 

 these larvaj devouring the tap-root. We forked it up, and found the 

 grub, just as we anticipated. I once saw four young Swallows, having 

 just left the nest, sitting together on the top of a door and being fed 

 by their parents with these insects, and in such numbers that the 

 young birds could not swallow them fast enough, and the legs of 

 " Daddies " stuck out on both sides of their beaks, giving the birds a 

 most grotesque appearance. 



I have never known any year when the " Daddy Long-legs " 

 abounded in such myriads in England as in the late summer. They 

 flew into the lamps, on to our plates, left their legs in the butter, and 

 were indeed a perfect pest. One day, in Worcestershire, wliile a stifl" 

 breeze was blowing, I noticed several hundred Swallows beating up 

 slowly against a strong wind over a turnip-field, and devouring 

 the "Daddies" by thousands as they rose from the plants. You 

 might see them almost settle on the plants in snapping up the 

 insects ; and when I returned from my walk, the Swallows were still 

 there, hunting over the field in increased numbers, and the quantity 

 of insects destroyed by them is quite beyond calculation. After 

 speaking thus of the great utility of these birds, it is sad to read the 

 following statement of cruelty on the part of an Italian. The account, 

 which I fear is only too true, is as follows, and is very properly 

 headed " Disgraceful Butchery " : — 



" An Italian sporting paper is responsible for the following account of a 

 wicked butcheiy of Swallows perpetrated by an Italian, Signor Paglia, who 



