NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 181 



ravenous, that they were a terror to all the dames in the 

 village that had chickens or ducklings under their care. 

 A boy climbed the tree, and found the young so fledged 

 that they all escaped from him ; but discovered that a 

 good house had been kept : the larder was well stored 

 with provisions ; for he brought down a young blackbird, 

 jay, and house-martin, all clean picked, and some half 

 devoured. The old birds had been observed to make sad 

 havoc for some days among the new-flown swallows and 

 martins, which, being but lately out of their nests, had not 

 acquired those powers and command of wing that enable 

 them, when more mature, to set such enemies at defiance. 



