Their First Appearance. 89 



on the wing through the hot summer noon, still flying 

 when the glow of sunset has faded from the sea, all 

 day long they wander in the air. 



The nest of the swift shows but little art in its con- 

 struction, nor is it always, indeed, the work of the bird 

 itself. It will, occasionally at least, appropriate a 

 house-sparrow's nest, whether occupied or not ; and 

 more than once has a brood of young sparrows been 

 seen which had apparently been turned out by the 

 swifts and left to perish on the ground. 



The sparrow, for his part, is much addicted to 

 seizing on the nest of a swallow — more frequently still 

 on that of a house-martin, even when just new from 

 the hands of the builders. 



It has often been said that the aggrieved owners 

 have been known to call in the assistance of sympathiz- 

 ing neighbours, and that the assembled troop have 

 then walled up the unfortunate sparrows — to die of 

 starvation in their ill-gotten hold. Happily, however, 

 for the reputation of the martin, it is very doubtful 

 if there is any real authority for the story. 



Swifts seem unusually abundant this year (1889), 

 but swallows and martins have come back to us in 

 sadly diminished numbers. 



The reason for this difference is not far to seek. 

 The dark plumage of the swift has no charm in the 

 eyes of the high-born beauties, for whose adornment 

 so many thousand lives have been sacrificed this 

 spring. 



