foot 
r 
— 
(sy 
out in close proximity to him, delivering their welcome burdens to their precious young 
ones, whose little chins projected beyond the edge of the nest, while their bright eyes looked 
down fearlessly on the stranger beneath them. The first brood disposed of, the old birds 
rest not, but renew their labours at once, and should circumstances favour, a second brood 
follows their elder brethren, and ranges itself alongside of them on the roof, tree, or telegraph 
wires, surveying the busy world below, and perhaps dreaming of the approaching flight 
southward for which their parents have been preparing them. 
Migratory parties now soon commence taking their departure, and are in due time 
followed by the late broods and old birds, and by the end of October only an occasional 
belated bird is to be seen, although there are records of much later occurrences. In the 
choice of a nesting place, as has been said, this bird frequently evinces considerable 
eccentricity, often choosing situations where it has to come into very close contact with 
man or other disturbing influences; many such instances have been recorded, but space 
will only allow me to add one other to the list. Im the year 1894, a gentleman residing at 
Corton, near Lowestoft, informed me that a swallow had made a nest amongst the machinery 
of a wind flour-mill. It entered by the hole through which the shaft bearing the mill sails 
passed, and had to “dodge ” the revolving sails every time it came and went, the mill being 
in daily use. The nest itself was built on the underside of a large wheel known as the 
“‘wallower,” and was constantly revolving with this wheel. It was estimated that the nest 
and sitting bird travelled in a circle at the rate of about 180ft. per minute, the bird going 
tail foremost. Here, in almost constant motion, and amongst the creaking and shaking of 
the machinery, the bird hatched and carried off its young ones in perfect safety. 
2. Tue House Marrin.—Mr. Stevenson, in his charming account of this bird in the 
“Birds of Norfolk,” truly says a small book might be written on the habits of this 
“universal favourite ” 
without exhausting 
the subject, and I, alas, have little more than 
a page to devote to it. 
Myths die hard, and it took a long time 
to slay the myth of hybernation of the 
Swallow tribe, but we think there are not 
many living now who expect to find swallows 
and martins clustered together in holes in 
the ground, hollow trees, or in the mud at 
the bottom of the village pond when Nature 
a ei is fast bound in winter’s frosty fetters. 
= Hh uy i ee : Belated Martins there occasionally are, but 
ina even these if they do not succumb to cold 
and want of food eventually follow their 
brethren to warmer climes, there to await 
the return of the season of reproduction 
HOUSE MARTIN. which irresistibly recalls them to their true 
. home. 
