246 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



abandoned nest. She clings outside it, for a little, 

 then, all at once, instead of entering, attacks the two 

 martins building their new one, flying at each, in 

 turn, and pecking them venomously. The martins 

 do not resist, and soon take to flight, but once again 

 the sparrow attacks them, with the grass still in her 

 bill, before entering the old nest with it, as finally 

 she does. Undeterred by these two attacks, the 

 martins continue to ply backwards and forwards, 

 ever building their nest. The hen sparrow soon 

 flies out of her ill-gotten one, and away, and, shortly 

 afterwards, the cock comes and sits on the piping, 

 with a small tuft of moss and grass in his bill. For 

 a most inordinate time he sits there, with these 

 materials, and then, time and time again, he flies 

 into a neighbouring tree, and returns with them, 

 going off, still holding them, at last, without once 

 having been to the nest. Meanwhile the hen has 

 returned with a much more considerable supply, 

 which she takes into the nest, at once. Afterwards 

 she comes with more, but again her anger is aroused 

 by the sight of the two poor martins, always build- 

 ing, and she flies at them, laden as she is, just as 

 before. They take flight, as usual, but soon return, 

 and continue industriously to build. Both are now 

 doing so in the prettiest manner, lying side by side, 

 but turned in opposite directions, so that each works 

 at a diff^erent part of the nest. Then one of them 

 flies eight times (if not more) to the nest, and away 

 again, with a large piece of black mud protruding, 

 all the while, from his bill, which is forced consider- 

 ably open by it. He seems, each time, unable to 

 bring it out, but, on the ninth return, succeeds in 



