88 MIGRATION AND FLIGHT. 



would remain sitting, and the male fly in and out, in our pre- 

 sence. But though several broods were hatched, the old birds 

 allowed no intruders, and not a single young bird was ever 

 seen to return to the place of its birth after it had once quitted 

 the nest. 



Another instance of confidence placed in man by these little 

 birds, when unmolested, occurred at a nobleman's house in 

 Scotland. A pair of Swallows, a few years ago, built their 

 nest upon the top bar of a clothes-screen in the porter's lodge, 

 which was hung up against the wall; the young ones were 

 hatched and flew away ; the nest was suffered to remain ; and 

 upon the first appearance of Swallows, the year after, a male 

 bird again entered the apartment, and took a survey of the 

 premises. Having satisfied himself, he went off, but soon re- 

 turned with a companion, which at first appeared very shy and 

 timid, but in a short time acquired as much assurance as its 

 mate. They both forthwith set about building a new nest on 

 a small ledge, which had been prepared for them, as near as 

 possible to the place where that on the clothes-screen had been 

 built, and which had been destroyed ; as, while it remained, 

 the screen was of course useless to the family. 



In this nest three broods were reared as before, notwith- 

 standing the almost constant presence of the porter and his 

 wife, who lived and slept in the room. In the spring of the 

 third year, the male again made his appearance with another 

 mate, evidently much younger than its predecessor. The old 

 nest on the ledge was examined, but for some reason the birds 

 were not satisfied with its situation, and as the clothes-screen 

 was hanging in the same situation it had occupied the first 

 year, after a couple of days' hesitation they constructed a new 

 nest on the favourite screen, and the business of hatching and 

 rearing the young ones went regularly on. The male bird, 

 indeed, seemed to have acquired increased confidence, never 

 manifesting alarm at the number of visitors which so curious 

 a circumstance attracted to the lodge ; whereas the female con- 

 tinued very shy, and was on the alert, and ready to take wing 

 when anybody approached too near. It was remarked in this, 



