THE WELCOME SWALLOW. 177 



CHAPTER CI. 



THE WELCOME SWALLOW. 

 {Iftrundo neoxena, Gould.} 



The following description of this bird is given by 

 Gould : 



" Forehead, chin, throat, and chest, rust-red ; head, 

 back of neck, back scapularies, wing coverts, rump, 

 and upper tail coverts, deep steel-blue ; wings and tail, 

 blackish brown, all but the two centre feathers of the 

 latter with an oblique mark of white on the inner web ; 

 under surface, very pale brown ; under tail coverts, pale 

 brown, passing into an irregular crescent-shaped mark 

 near the extremity, and tipped with white ; irides, dark 

 brown; bill and legs, black. " 



This homely little insectivorous and migratory 

 bird is respected by all even the small boys, who 

 rob all other birds' nests, when they discover a 

 swallow's nest, rarely interfere with it, though often 

 within easy reach. In Camberwell, this season, there 

 were no less than four swallows' nests in the main 

 street, built under verandahs a few feet from the ground, 

 and were passed by hundreds of children, who watched 

 the old birds feeding the young when the latter were 

 reared. This is, no doubt, the outcome of nature study 

 in the schools, the children being taught by their 

 teachers to protect insectivorous and other useful birds, 

 some excellent articles having been written in the school 

 papers concerning this and other useful birds. 



The well-known mud nests of these birds need hardly 

 any description, as they are so familiar, often being 

 built in the heart of this city. One nest was observed 

 recently within a stone's throw of the General Post 

 Office. The nest is composed of small pellets of mud, 



