242 WILD BIRDS 



"SHORT SWALLOW FLIGHTS." 



Many acts of birds are drolly like human action 

 when courtship or rivalry is the motive. The ring 

 doves billing and cooing, and (literally) kissing each 

 other in April, the wagtails feeding their wives 

 here are instances. Watching the wagtails (grey 

 and pied), I am sure that the motive answers closely 

 to human motive. It is the husband, in a spirit of 

 sex gallantry, of loving-kindness to his mate, picking 

 out dainty dishes for her. 



But here is a still droller bit of humanity about 

 the swallows. A pair sit on my chimney, the 

 male singing sweetly, and sometimes darting off 

 his perch for a few seconds to chase away an 

 intruding sparrow. Presently he will fly up and 

 round the chimney, calling to his mate. As plain 

 as plain can be, he asks her to come with him for a 

 flight. Again and again he sweeps down, and in 

 passing touches or all but touches her beak with 

 his beak, twittering the while. 



She does not accept the offer on the first evening 

 perhaps. He flies off to join the swallow throng 

 without her. But next evening the invitation is 

 repeated and accepted. After he has several times 

 swept down and touched or all but touched her, she 

 rises, and together they fly away and join the large 

 swallow party over the meadow. 



