THE SWALLOW. 151 



" Gentle bird ! we find thee here 

 When Nature wears her summer vest, 

 Thou com'st to weave thy simple nest; 

 And when the chilling winter lowers, 

 Again thou seek'st the genial bowers 

 Of Memphis, or the shores of Nile, 

 Where sunny hours of verdure smile." 



Marvellous, indeed, is the instinct which, after a voy- 

 age of thousands of miles have been performed, and new 

 lands have been visited, prompts the swallow to return 

 to the very eaves that have been left; yet such is un- 

 questionably the fact. The following- is one instance, 

 taken from a multitude. A sparrow attempted to rob 

 a house-marten of its nest, where lay its young and un- 

 fledged brood, and its efforts were watched from time to 

 time by four brothers, who resolved to defend the bird 

 that had found a shelter under their mother's roof. 

 But, alas ! the blow-guns they employed loosened the 

 foundations of the mud-walled dwelling — down it came, 

 and its four little inmates lay on the ground. The mo- 

 ther of the children, pitying the condition of the little 

 birds, replaced them in the nest, and set it in the open 

 window of an empty chamber. The fright of the parent- 

 birds was soon gone, and hither they came to feed their 

 young with their accustomed diligence, and to express 

 in all the ways they could adopt their satisfaction and 



