240 



THE POPULAE EDUCATOE. 



feathers, and addled eggs being more grievous than the trouble 

 of making an honest nest. The martins are sometimes strict 

 enough on this matter when an impudent sparrow seizes on 

 one of their nests. Often have all the martins in a neighbour- 

 hood united to drag out the intruder and to execute him on the 

 spot. " Serve him right " must be the verdict of all right- 

 feeling birds. As the martins sometimes hatch four broods in 

 a season, the last family is not unfrequently abandoned when 

 the time comes for the migration. It is very sad and very 

 unromantic ; but what can the poor bird-mother do ? Food fails ; 

 if she stops she dies with her young ; by going she preserves her 

 own life at least. Poor thing ! it is very hard for her, but she 

 cannot resist the impulse which so strangely bids her go. Some- 

 times, on returning to the deserted nest in spring, she has 

 actually to remove her dead children from the home in which they 

 were reared. " Sad, but unavoidable," is all we can say, and that 

 is, perhaps, just what 

 the house martin feels. 



The Sand Martin 

 is the least known, 

 though travellers may 

 often seeitsnest-holea 

 driven into the sandy 

 elopes and sides of rail- 

 way cuttings. These 

 holes are usually two 

 feet deep, but some- 

 times three or even 

 four, the nest being 

 safely hidden in the 

 darkness at the far 

 end. How does this 

 email, greyish-colour- 

 ed bird pierce such 

 holes in the rock? The 

 beak is the only tool 

 used, serving for both 

 " pick and borer," 

 the claws being partly 

 employed as shovels 

 to clear the loosened 

 sand away. The little 

 workman first drives 

 its beak into the sand, 

 dislodges some earth, 

 then another beak- 

 drive follows, and so 

 on till an excavation 

 is made. The open- 

 ing i8 then tunnelled 

 to the required depth 

 by the beak working 

 from the centre of the 

 hole outwards. The 

 whole work is finished 

 in about a fortnight. 

 Some curious people 

 may here ask, why 

 does this little bird 

 not build its nest in 



the manner of its cousins, and escape all this mining work? 

 Answer again, "cannot tell;" natural history is, all may see, 

 full of mysteries. The sand martins are not without their share 

 of troubles. An enemy gets into the snug nests in the form of 

 a flea, which seems to be peculiar to this bird. Such is the 

 lesson which the microscope teaches, and we cannot disbelieve 

 that clever little instrument. The martin is often worried out 

 of its house by these determined fleas. 



The Swift is the latest of all our swallow visitors, not 

 generally reaching Britain until May, and bidding us " good- 

 bye" about the middle of August. The peculiar habits and 

 appearance of this bird have suggested the various names of 

 swift, black martin, screech, screamer, squealer, and footless 

 swallow (Cypselus opus). Its rapid flight, strange scream, dark 

 body, and feeble feet will explain the origin of all those appella- 

 tions. What is the most remarkable quality of the swift ? Its 

 marvellous power of wing. For sixteen successive hours will 

 this bird continue aloft in the air, not quietly poising itself, but 



THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



darting and wheeling at a speed which would leave the swiftest 

 express train behind. Its velocity of flight has been estimated 

 at ninety miles the hour, and it is not, therefore, surprising that 

 the swift defies the hawk and the eagle, darting with exulting 

 cry almost in the face of the exasperated falcon. Those who 

 examine the black martin will not be much surprised at ita 

 power in the air. The extended wings measure eighteen inches, 

 yet the whole bird weighs little above one ounce. Such a living 

 machine may really find it more difficult to descend to the earth 

 than to wander at will on high. The structure of the swift well 

 illustrates what is called the law of compensation; the feebleness 

 of the feet being combined with amazing power of wing. On 

 the other hand, the ostrich has weakness of wing balanced by 

 power of leg and claw. 



The swift seldom rejoices in a numerous family, two being 

 the usual number, and even these are frequently hurried away 



in the autumn, almost 

 immediately after 

 leaving the nest. The 

 return of these birds 

 to the same locality, 

 year after year, was 

 fully proved by Dr. 

 Jenner, who cut off 

 two claws from each 

 of twelve swifts, and 

 at the end of seven 

 years some of these 

 marked birds were 

 found in the neigh- 

 bourhood. Even tho 

 injury received was 

 not sufficient to over- 

 come the intensity of 

 local attachment. 



Do the swallows 

 render any service to 

 mankind? Yes; they 

 keep the insect my- 

 riads within safe 

 limits. If one of these 

 birds should eat but 

 a hundred insects a- 

 day, the number con- 

 sumed in a summer 

 by the whole swallow 

 family might puzzle a 

 calculating machine 

 to enumerate. Many 

 a farmer can ruefully 

 remember the ravages 

 which "the fly" has 

 often made among his 

 turnips or in his hop- 

 grounds. He may 

 well look upon the 

 swallows as most use- 

 ful though unpaid 

 labourers. What o 

 fearful plague some 



insects might become without such checks, may be inferred from 

 the calculation of Reaumur, that one aphis fly might produce in 

 a single year 5,904,900,000 of its voracious progeny. A pretty 

 family to feast at man's expense ! 



The swallows, could they speak, would hava a serious com- 

 plaint to make against humanity. They would say that boys 

 are sometimes guilty of damaging their nests, pelting their 

 wives, and knocking down their children by " switching " at 

 them with long rods. The house martins would be loud in 

 their complaints; but we trust that, after this public notice, 

 every boy will repent of his past rudeness and behave better 

 for the future. It is equally wanton and cruel to destroy the 

 wonderful structure which instinct has taught the bird to build 

 for the shelter of itself and its young. 



Let us now, with one consent, welcome in hamlet, village, 

 and town these confiding summer visitors, wishing them much 

 happiness while here, nd giving them a regretful " good-byo * 

 at their departure. 



