SWALLOW. 145 



same Swallow, it is believed, which had formerly built on the 

 bracket for the lamp, built a nest for several years, and 

 never was in the least disturbed by the ringing of the bell, 

 or the rattling of the rope. A figure is given of the nest, 

 in the form of a cornucopia both ends affixed to the roof 

 of the cover. 



The ego^s are usually from four to six iri number, white, 

 much speckled over with ash-colour and dark red, or brown 

 and rufous. 



Two broods are frequently hatched in the year, the first of 

 which flies in June, and the second the middle or end of 

 August. When the young are fledged, they may often be 

 seen perched in a row on the edge of the chimney top, pluming 

 themselves, and waiting for, and watching their parents' 

 return with food for the supply of their wants. When they 

 have advanced a step to some neighbouring bough or building, 

 they still are dependent on them; and, even when they can 

 fly,' are still fed by them in the most dexterous, and almost 

 imperceptible manner on the wing. The old birds supply 

 them with food once in every three minutes, during the 

 greater portion of the day. Think of this, and, in the words 

 of the 'Wanderings,' a book I love, applied to our present 

 subject, 'Spare, spare the unoffending' Swallow! 



The glossy purple of the upper part of the plumage of the 

 Swallow is only to be perceived upon a close inspection, or 

 when you have the advantage of looking down upon the 

 bird as it skims from under some bridge in the light of the 

 sun, or beneath some other such elevation, from whence you 

 have a commanding view of it. Male; length, eight inches 

 and a half or three quarters; bill, small and black, the ridge 

 elevated, the space between it and the eye, black; iris, dark 

 brown; forehead, chesnut; crown, side of the head, neck, and 

 nape, very glossy dark blue; chin and throat, chesnut, below 

 which is a bluish black band, which ends in a straight line 

 across the breast, which is buff white, more or less tinged 

 with brown; back, glossy blue. 



The wings, which expand to the width of one foot two 

 inches, and reach to about the middle of the tail, are long 

 and pointed, reaching beyond the end of the second tail 

 feather; the first and second quill feathers are nearly equal 

 in length, but the first rather the longer of the two. Greater 

 and lesser wing coverts, glossy blue; primaries, dull black, 

 with bronze reflections and pale brown edges; secondaries, the 



