xxix LETTERS TO MARCO 195 



tality amongst them was truly pitiable. In 

 my boat-house any quantity of swallows and 

 martins collected to roost at night. They 

 huddled together in one long row, like my 

 sketch, on an iron bar near the roof, 1 and 

 every morning I used to pick up three or four 

 dead ones that must have perished during the 



Swallows at roost. 



night. As the weather grew better, they 

 gave up this night-refuge and disappeared ; 

 but it was remarkable, no swallows built new, 

 or used the old nests that summer in the 

 boat-house ; indeed there were very few about 

 this place at all last year. 



My Pasque flowers are out and very fine 

 this year, and I enclose one for Agnes. 



1 I believe this cold iron bar was bad for the swallows, and 

 was the cause of so many falling dead from it during the nights. 

 I have put a small wooden bar up now, and the swallows much 

 prefer it. 



