104 SWALLOWS FED BY HAND. 



night. It was placed in the open air in the morn- 

 ing, and removed at night into the house. 



" It often happened that my little charge had 

 enjoyed two or three hours disporting before I was 

 prepared to walk. I was, however, recognized 

 and greeted as soon as I appeared ; and whether 

 I pursued the course of the roads, or rambled into 

 the fields, they generally encircled me in their 

 flight, sometimes resting upon me, or accepting a 

 fly from my fingers. These amusive proceedings 

 continued four or five weeks ; but after that pe- 

 riod, according to my wish, our intercourse dimi- 

 nished daily. They associated more and more 

 with their congeners, who were collecting together 

 as is usual at this period of the year, and were 

 absent more frequently and for longer intervals ; 

 but, whenever or wherever they again appeared, 

 they seldom failed to come to me when I sum- 

 moned them by my call. Having disappeared for 

 two or three days, I considered that our connexion 

 was altogether dissolved ; but as I was walking to 

 an adjoining village, one of the birds gave me his 

 wonted salutation in passing, and, on my invita- 

 tion, perched on one of my fingers. In this posi- 

 tion I conveyed it to the village green, and there, 

 in the presence of several persons, cast it into the 

 air, with some exclamation expressive of my wish 

 for its welfare. 



66 I was often solicited to continue my interest- 



