56 BIRDS AND MAN 



in rows on the roof of the house or on a low fence 

 near it, where their parents fed them for a short 

 time. After these young birds were able to take 

 care of themselves they still kept about the house, 

 and were joined by more swallows and martins from 

 the neighbourhood. One bright sunny morning, 

 when not fewer than two or three score of these 

 birds were flying about the house, gaily twittering, 

 I went into the garden to get some fruit. All at 

 once a swallow uttered his loud shrill alarm cry 

 overhead and at the same time darted down at me, 

 almost grazing my hat, then mounting up he con- 

 tinued making swoops, screaming all the time. 

 Immediately all the other swallows and martins 

 came to the spot, joining in the cry, and continued 

 flying about over my head, but not darting at me 

 like the first bird. For some moments I was very 

 much astonished at the attack ; then I looked 

 round for the cat — it must be the cat, I thought. 

 This animal had a habit of hiding among the goose- 

 berry bushes, and, when I stooped to pick the fruit, 

 springing very suddenly upon my back. But pussy 

 was nowhere near, and as the swallow continued to 

 make dashes at me, I thought that there must be 

 something to alarm it on my head, and at once 

 pulled off my hat and began to examine it. In a 



