On the *wanton Destruction of Swallows. 37 



others scarcely injured, crawling out of the bird^s mouth ; the 

 throat and pouch seemed absolutely stuffed with them, and an 

 incredible number was at length disgorged. I am sure I 

 speak within compass when I state that there was a mass of 

 flies, just caught by this single swift, larger than, when pressed 

 close, could conveniently be contained in the bowl of an ordi- 

 nary table-spoon ! Thus was a whole brood of young birds 

 deprived of one of their nursing parents, by an act of the 

 most wanton cruelty ! In common with the excellent author 

 above quoted, I would entreat those who follow the manly 

 sports of the field to spare these guiltless creatures, if it were 

 only from motives of self-interest. The blackbird and the 

 throstle, the blackcap, whitethroat, and a variety of other 

 birds, are of service in destroying insects, and they charm us 

 with their melody and amusing habits ; but, in return for all 

 this, we are obliged to '^pai/ the piper" As a compensation 

 for their song, they take great liberties with our fruit and 

 vegetables, and we are content to submit to their committing 

 considerable depredations on our gardens ; but the swallows, 

 the inoffensive swallows, what mischief do they do ? They 

 rank among our best friends ; " ?zo injury^ no meditated crime ^ 

 ivas eve?^ imputed to these birds ;" they do us good, and, unlike 

 many others of the feathered race, good only, good unmixed 

 with evil. During their sojourn in this country, they are 

 (with the exception of one species, the sand marten) always 

 about our dwellings, and appear, as it were, to court our ac- 

 quaintance. 'It has been somewhere observed, I think, by 

 White, that " they are hardly to be scared by a gun,'j'so un- 

 suspicious are they of receiving injury from man, whom they 

 seem to look upon as their natural protector. The arrival of 

 the first swallow is regarded with some degree of interest by 

 most people; and, as he skims along with graceful flight, or 

 twitters on our chimney tops, is hailed even by the unculti- 

 vated plebeian as the constant and uniform attendant on 

 spring. The scream of the swifts, when they collect in packs, 

 and 



" Dash round the steeple, unsubdued of wing," 



harsh and discordant as it may be, is yet a most joyous and 

 delightful sound, and is associated with all the charms of sum- 

 mer days and serene weather. And as to those industrious 

 little masons, the martens, I love to have them build in my 

 windows ; I consider they pay me a compliment by making a 

 selection of my premises for the purpose of nidification, and 

 would on no account have them injured or disturbed, not- 

 withstanding their occasional dirt and litter. If our great poet 



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