382 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



often more than a match for the natural instinct 

 of the unfortunate bird. 



But, in contrast with these instances of parental 

 attachment toward the young, we may select a few 

 which apparently indicate a precisely opposite state 

 of feeling. It is well known that both swallows 

 and martins are in the habit occasionally of desert- 

 ing their young. But this is under circumstances 

 so peculiar, that we may well view the act with 

 mingled feelings of pity, both for the parents and 

 the perishing young ones. Mr. Blackwall, who has 

 particularly studied this feature in the history of 

 these birds, has given the following particulars 

 connected with it. It appears that the late broods 

 of the martin are those which are sometimes de- 

 serted by their parents. This seems evident from 

 the following circumstance. A pair of house- 

 martins, after taking possession of a nest that had 

 been constructed during the previous summer, 

 drew out the dried bodies of three nearly full- 

 fledged nestlings, which had perished in it, pre- 

 paratory to appropriating the nest to their own 

 purposes. About the same time, and near the 

 same spot, a similar attempt was made by another 

 pair of house-martins ; but all their efforts to dis- 



