276 On the Swallow. 
swer as usual, he mounted the short trap, and after passing through 
the steam, found Andrew with a pair of rider spectacles on his 
nose, carefully and wistfully poring over a copy of Bunyan’s Holy 
War, and keenly debating with a packman about the inputs in 
exchange with a well worn copy of Pilgrim’s Progress, that had 
Seen his constant companion for many years. They were de- 
sire] to go down and settle the balance outside the door, and 
“the pa.s would be attended to till the matter was adjusted. The 
packmait had no sooner walked out, than the swallows gave over 
‘their noise and Suttering. The sire departed in quest of food, 
and the dam returned to the nest as if nothing had happened, 
while we stood so near as by stretching out our arm we might 
have touched the bird on her seat. 
To the swallow I feel very much inclined to attribute a degree 
of knowledge and sagacity rather beyond the bounds of eredi- 
bility ; and would allow them, in point of mental endowment, a 
rank amongst the feathered tribes equal to what the beaver holds 
in the gradations of the mammalia upon earth, That they are go- 
verned by certain laws, that may be termed instinct, cannot be 
refused. But that they also possess a reasoning faculty, with the 
power of conceiving, communicating, and receiving 1deas,—in 
short, that they actually possess in some degree the gift of speech, 
I am equally satisfied. 
They convene meetings for general welfare ; they converse, de- 
liberate, and consult; project plans, and act with method and re- 
gularity and in concert in the execution ; unite in defence, and 
when necessary call in the aid of distant colonies in punishment 
of aggressors. They take a general interest in the individual safety 
of every member and family belonging to their community; re- 
pair the injuries sustained, as one common concern ; protect the 
young, and feed the orphan, when any accident deprives them of 
the fostering protection and care of their natural parents. 
In June 1816, some young gentlemen disappointed in duck- 
shooting from the wetness of the morning, after the weather 
cleared up a little, not knowing the protection afforded here to 
the gentle and inoffensive swallow, these sons of sport and festi- 
vity fired a few rounds for their amusement, and unfortunately 
brought some of the parent swallows to the ground, among the 
rest, both parents of a young brood of five, in a nest placed in 
the corner of one of the windows of my premises, ‘vhile in the 
very act of skimming into the nest with a beakfull of flies. They 
were really sorry for this. Conceiving the young must perish 
from hunger, I intended taking them into the house and try to 
bring them up, under the care of the children, who had under- 
taken to catch flies for them. This, however, was found unne- 
cessary; the news of the calamity had spread over the colony, 
and 
