NATURE ON THE BOOF. 85 



stay by and adjust their feathers. He walks on, 

 giving a little chirp with his mouth, and they follow 

 him along the path — a cloud about his shoulders, 

 and the rest flying from shrub to shrub, perching, 

 and then following again. They are all perfectly 

 clean — a contrast to the London sparrow. I came 

 across one of these sparrow- tamers by chance, and 

 was much amused at the scene, which, to any one 

 not acquainted with birds, appears marvellous; but 

 it is really as simple as possible, and you can repeat 

 it for yourself if you have patience, for they are 

 so sharp they soon understand you. They seem to 

 play at nest-making before they really begin ; taking 

 up straws in their beaks, and carrying them half-way 

 to the roof, then letting the straws float away ; and 

 the same with stray feathers. Neither of these, 

 starlings nor sparrows, seem to like the dark. Under 

 the roof, between it and the first ceiling, there is 

 a large open space ; if the slates or tiles are kept 

 in good order, very little light enters, and this space 

 is nearly dark in daylight. Even if chinks admit 

 a beam of light, it is not enough ; they seldom 

 enter or fly about there, though quite accessible to 

 them. But if the roof is in bad order, and this space 

 light, they enter freely. Though nesting in holes, yet 

 they like light. The swallows could easily go in and 

 make nests upon the beams, but they will not, imless 

 the place is well lit. They do not like darkness in 

 the daytime. 



The swallows bring us the sunbeams on their wings 

 from Africa to fill the fields with flowers. From 

 the time of the arrival of the first swallow the flowers 



