SWALLOWS. 271 



sudden attack. The enemy persevered for a week, but 

 at length, finding its prospects hopeless, left the pair to 

 enjoy the fruits of their forethought. 



The latter of the two preceding anecdotes tends to 

 corroborate a more bold and sagacious measure, adopted 

 by a pair of Swallows, no doubt those of the preceding 

 year; which, on 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, when- 

 ever they attempted to dislodge it. Wearied, and hope- 

 less of regaining possession of their own property, they, 

 at last, hit upon a plan which effectually prevented the 

 intruder from reaping the reward of its 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 plas- 

 tered up the entrance-hole, thus punishing the Sparrow 

 with imprisonment, and death by starvation. This in- 

 stance of apparent reasoning, occurred at a rectory- 

 house, in Lancashire; but a similar story is on record, 

 near London, of a pair of Swallows calling in the assist- 

 ance of their neighbours for the very same purpose. 



Swallows, too, like the Raven, (mentioned p. 197,) 

 and probably many other birds, will, when deprived 

 of their mates, provide themselves with others, a fact 

 of which the following account, from an eye-witness, 

 is a proof: A couple of Swallows built their nest in a 

 stable; the female laid her eggs, and was observed to 

 continue motionless beyond the time of hatching, while 

 the male fluttered about, or occasionally settled on a 

 projecting nail, uttering plaintive notes, which induced 

 some persons at length to examine the nest, when the 

 female was'found to be dead; she was accordingly thrown 

 away. The male then went to sit upon the eggs, but 

 after remaining about two hours, flew oif, and in a short 

 time returned with another female, which sat upon the 

 eggs, and afterwards hatched and fed the young ones, 

 till they were able to provide for themselves*. 

 * FORSTER'S Travels in North America. 



