THE YOUNG ORNITHOLOGIST. 



A VACATION TRIP. 



Or, Ttoo Young Naturcdists in NeiD 

 Hamjyshire. 



By Harry Roland. 



CHAP. II[. 



They sat watching the swallows for 

 some time, as they flew around in all 

 directions with the lightness and grace 

 of butterflies. They did not disturb 

 their peaceful retreat, as it was rather 

 late to find fresh eggs, and, besides, 

 they had nothing with them to dig 

 into their nests with except a jack- 

 knife, which was barely adequate to 

 the task. 



"Have you a set of their eggs at 

 home?" inquired Edward. 



" Yes," replied George, "haven't 

 you ?" 



' ' No : this is the first colony of 

 Bank Swallows that I've seen. There 

 don't seem to be any near our place. 

 Where did you get yours ?" 



"I dug them out of a clayey bank 

 like this one, near the roadside, a lit- 

 tle ways out from Dedham, when I 

 was over that way collecting. The 

 burrow, tunnel, or whatever you 

 would call it, was over two feet in 

 extent ; the eggs were laid on a 

 slight nest made of grass and feath- 

 ers, and some were pure white in 

 color. There were five eggs and 

 three young ones just hatched." 



"I suppose the five eggs you got 

 contained embryos, did they not?" 

 inquired Edward. 



"No, that was the strangest part 

 of it ; they were all quite fresh." 



"How do you account for that?" 



"I think different birds must use 

 the same nest." 



Somewhat reluctantlv the bovs 



drove on, and left the busy little 

 birds to themselves. The weather 

 was somewhat warmer than on the 

 preceding day, and at noon they were 

 driving slowly along a sandy road 

 without any trees near, and watching 

 eagerly for a suitable place to stop 

 for their mid-day lunch. 



There had not been any rain for 

 some. time in this locality, and the 

 roads were very dry and dusty. 



"Isn't that another hawk?" asked 

 Edward pointing across a large field. 

 " Yes " responded George, " See 1 

 he's lit in that dead tree over there 

 near the fence. I wish we had a field 

 glass to watch him with." 



" Langille speaks of watching a 

 Sparrow Hawk that way while it was 

 engaged in tearing a sparrow to pieces 

 and devouring it," said Edward. 



"Have you got his book?" inquired 

 George. 



"Yes," replied Edward, " it's the 

 only one I have got, you are more for- 

 tunate than me. How many works on 

 Ornithology have you?" 



" Well, I have Minot's ' Birds of 

 New England,' Cone's 'Key to North 

 American Birds,' and IngersoU's 

 'Bird Nesting.' " 



" Which did you bring with you? 

 I believe I saw you putting a book in 

 the box." 



"Yes you did. I brought Cone's 

 'Key,' I hadn't the room to spare foi 

 but one." 



" And so brouglit the biggest one?" 

 interrupted Edward. 



" And I thought that would be the 

 best, all things considered," contin- 

 ued George. 



A little further on they came to a 

 single large tree, side of the road, and . 

 as thev were somewhat tired thev 



