SWALLOW AND HOUSE-MARTIN 



part of the shelf. This did nut |>iv\ eiit them, however, passing the 

 niuht amicably side by side. Next morning tin \ uere alismt. Hy 

 the time they ivturned the cock had evidently been convinced of the 

 error of his ways, for he abandoned his site for that of his mate. On 

 the 28th a cold raw wind brought building to a standstill. The same 

 on the morrow, and every day to May G. The pair lost all desire to 

 luiild. and were either absent searching for food in sheltered valleys, 

 or the\ s;it drooping <m their shelf, pressed side to side, a picture of 

 love in misery. From the Cth to the llth the work went merrily on, 

 interrupted, however, on the Oth by the sudden appearance of a 

 strange cock swallow, evidently in search of a mate. The cock in 

 possession \\ax nut. lii) \\e\rr. ;it all di-poxed to yield up his \\ifc. A 

 furious fight ensued, the rivals chasing each other in the air, or flutter- 

 ing to the ground, where they tugged and grappled with all their 

 might The intruder was at last put to flight. The victor returned in 

 triumph to the nesting-shelf, and great was the rejoicing of him and 

 his mate. They stood face to face, nodding their heads till they were 

 tired, and chattering excitedly till they could chatter no more. 1 With 

 the llth came bad weather, and it was not till the 24th that the nest 

 was built and furnished, having taken thirty days to complete. The 

 tiiM ei:- wax laid next day On the '-'7th another miniated cock or 

 it may have been the same one entered on the scene to disturb the 

 domestic peace. But short work was made of him. He was picked up 

 in a semi-conscious state from the floor, and, when put down, was 

 again attacked by the indignant husband, and managed with difficulty 

 to escape. 2 On May 29 there were five eggs in the nest, and incuba- 

 tion began. It was performed by the hen. The cock brought food to 

 her, announcing each of his appearances with a joyful twittering, to 

 which there came an answering joyful twitter from the nest Occa- 

 sionally the hen left the eggs to do a little hunting for herself and 

 stretch her wings, but only for a few seconds. Hour after hour she 



1 This nodding if* the only form of love-display of which I ran find record. 

 < The existence of these mateless birds has already been partly explained on pp. 2DO-297abore- 

 Some may, of course, be young birds of the preriotw year that have not yet found a mate. 



VOL. II. '-' 



