122 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



fer the house-eaves which we offer them. Some- 

 times they build under bridges. 



It is a pretty sight when you come upon the 

 swallows fluttering above the mud-puddles after a 

 rain, or following the water-wagon about the 

 streets for the leakage that collects in little un- 

 even places of the road. See how they work up 

 the mud into pellets, partly swallowing as many 

 as they can carry at one load. By looking closely 

 at the nests, you see they are just a collection 

 of these little pellets of dried mud. It is really 

 artistic skill in clay-modeling. It is supposed 

 that the early natives of our Western coast, watch- 

 ing the swallows and phoebes at their nest-build- 

 ing, got the idea of making mud into bricks and 

 so building adobe houses. 



You will notice that some of the nests have 

 little balconies or verandas on the sides. Now, it 

 was supposed the birds made these on purpose 

 for a resting-place when coming to the nest, or 

 for the young to find safe footing on; but we have 

 watched the swallows a long time, and are sure 

 these little verandas are never made on purpose. 

 As the nest progresses, now and then a layer or 

 bunch of pellets weakens and falls. Sometimes 

 these fall to the ground, and often they only tip 

 over and adhere to the rest of the nest in that 



