82 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



nest is entered, and the bold but lazy invader 

 twitters his triumph in the face of the astonished 

 rightful possessor of the fabric. Authentic 

 anecdotes of this bad conduct are related. The 

 sparrow, bold, impudent, but droll, is the in- 

 vader in many of these instances. The pendent 

 bed of the martin is often the nest he selects 

 for his own. Mr. "W. Thompson very justly says, 

 however, "the nest of the martin is generally 

 tenantless when taken possession of, and the 

 sparrow may have no anticipation of the rightful 

 owner coming across the seas to claim his pro- 

 perty."* This bird also occasionally takes pos- 

 session of the burrows of the sand-martin before 

 the return of this species to the place of its birth, 

 and is to be seen perched at the entrance of its 

 neighbour's burrow, and peering about and chatter- 

 ing with as much confidence as if the domicile 

 were its own by right of descent. 



The house-martin, however, sometimes plainly 

 declares its surprise at the invader's intrusion, 

 and its determination, if possible, to eject him. 

 This is difficult, as the mud castle is impregnable 

 on all sides except a small orifice in the most 

 * Annals of Natural History. 



