SWALLOW. 139 
Mr. Couch, in his ‘Illustrations of Instinct,’ mentions ‘a pair 
of Swallows which were observed on the wing, engaged in a 
chattering contest, close to an opening which led into a 
solitary barn. It was the evident intention of one of them 
to obtain an entrance, and equally the determination of the 
other that no admission should be permitted. They flew in 
various directions about the only aperture, with incessant and 
angry chattering; but the bird which appeared to be the 
rightful occupier always maintained his advantage in» keeping 
nearest the opening. When at last nothing that, he was 
able to do or utter seemed capable of repelling the pertinacious 
intruder, another bird suddenly darted out through the 
opening, with a double portion of indignation marked in her 
motions; and without uttering a sound, joined her mate in 
repelling the foe; after which she again returned to her 
solitary station within the building.’ I fancy that I have 
seen something of the sort, as first related, myself. 
‘A pair of Swallows,’ says Bishop Stanley, ‘no doubt those 
of the preceding year, on their arriving, found their old nest 
already occupied by a Sparrow, who kept the poor birds at a 
distance, by pecking at them with its strong beak, whenever 
they attempted to dislodge it. Wearied, and hopeless of 
regaining possession of their own property, they at last hit 
upon a plan which effectually prevented the intruder from 
reaping the reward of his roguery. One morning they appeared 
with a few more Swallows, their mouths distended with a 
supply of tempered clay, and, by joint labour, in a short time 
actually plastered up the entrance hole, thus punishing the 
Sparrow with imprisonment and death by starvation. This 
instance of apparent reasoning occurred at a rectory-house 
in Lancashire; and a similar story is on record near London, 
of a pair of Swallows calling in the assistance of their 
neighbours, for the very same purpose.’ Mr. Jesse records a 
precisely similar incident as having occurred in regard to a 
nest built against the window of a house in Merrion Square, 
Dublin, and remarks upon it, ‘In this case, there appears to 
have been not only a reasoning faculty, but the birds must 
have been possessed of the power of communicating their 
resentment and their wishes to their friends, without whose 
aid they could not thus have avenged the injury they had 
sustained.’ Again, ‘A pair of Swallows built their nest under 
the ledge of a house at Hampton Court. It was no sooner 
completed, than a couple of Sparrows drove them from it, 
