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then crowd the rigging of some lonely ship, clinging for hours to ropes 

 and spars, until recovered strength again enables them to obey the 

 "forward " impulse. No wonder if these beings of summer climes some- 

 times marvel at the rough treatment received in our ruder latitudes; a 

 cutting " north-easter" is no smiling reception for a creature which has 

 been basking for months in the sun of Egypt. On one bitter spring day, 

 a gentleman* picked up in the course of his morning's walk ninety-two 

 chimney Swallows, not dead, but benumbed by the cold. Being placed 

 in a warm hamper, they all recovered, and flew off the next day. On 

 another occasion numbers were found on the window-sills of a country 

 house, heaped on each other five or six deep. Instinct had clearly led 

 them to seek aid from man. Some may naturally ask — Why do Swallows 

 so eagerly rush from the warm regions of the south to battle with the 

 storms of the north 1 We cannot answer the question, guessing on such 

 subjects is trifling; that there is some wise purpose in the habit we may 

 be sure, or it would not exist. Another remarkable characteristic of 

 chimney Swallows is their courage — look at these birds fighting with a 

 hawk, and then say whether they are cowards. Of course they suffer for 

 their daring? Not in the least — the hawk gets the worst of it, and 

 retreats in a fury from the inglorious contest. What can the hawk do ? 

 He is a brave fellow, but the Swallows are too quick for him, darting 

 down on his back, and up again with a speed which baffles the clutch of 

 his talons. He resembles a heavy seventy-four man-of-war surrounded 

 by a fleet of steam gun-boats : strength is beaten by speed. 



The chimney Swallow does not "come to the British Isles for a 

 holiday, tliat is certain, but for downright hard work. The building of 

 a house, and the bringing up of two families in one short season, are 

 enough to tax the energies of the most enterprising bird. The parents 

 are so hard pushed for time, that the first family often receives warning 

 to quit before its education is quite complete. But the little things soon 

 manage to provide their own food without the aid of the mother bird. 

 The second family sometimes fares the worst, being forced to join in the 

 great autumnal migration as soon as they are able to fly. The 

 * Dr. Hunt, of Addlethorpe. 



