NATURE ON THE HOOF, 87 



between man and the blue heavens, between ns and 

 the sunlight, and all the promise of the sky. The 

 joy of life, the highest and tenderest feelings, thoughts 

 that soar on the swallow's wings, come to the round 

 nest under the roof. Not only to-day, not only the 

 hopes of future years, but all the past dwells there. 

 Year after year the generations and descent of the 

 swallow have been associated with our homes, and 

 all the events of successive lives have taken place 

 under their guardianship. The swallow is the genius 

 of good to a house. Let its nest, then, stay; to 

 me it seems the extremity of barbarism, or rather 

 stupidity, to knock it down. I wish I could induce 

 them to build under the eaves of this house ; I would 

 if I could discover some means of communicating 

 with them. 



It is a peculiarity of the swallow that you cannot 

 make it afraid of you ; just the reverse of other 

 birds. The swallow does not understand being 

 repulsed, but comes back again. Even knocking 

 the nest down will not drive it away, until the 

 stupid process has been repeated several years. The 

 robin must be coaxed ; the sparrow is suspicious, and 

 though easy to tame, quick to notice the least alarm- 

 ing movement. The swallow will not be driven away. 

 He has not the slightest fear of man; he flies to 

 his nest close to the window, under the low eave, 

 or on the beams in the out-houses, no matter if you 

 are looking on or not. Bold as the starlings are, 

 they will seldom do this. But in the swallow, 

 the instinct of suspicion is reversed; an instinct of 

 confidence occupies its place. In addition to the 



