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eaves provide against the weather — indeed, this may have something to do with the 

 change of hahit in the beginning. The Cliff-Swallow's nest is built entirely of mud, 

 which, when sun-baked into ' adobe,' is secure enough in dry weather, but liable to be 

 loosened or washed away during a storm. In fact, this accident is of continual occur- 

 rence, just as it is in the case of the Chimney -Swifts. The birds' instinct — whatever 

 that may mean : I despise the word as a label of our ignorance and conceit; say rather, 

 their reason — teaches them to come in out of the rain. This mav also have something to 

 do with the clustering of the nests, commonly observed when the birds build on the face of 

 cliffs ; for obviously such a mass w r ould withstand the weather better than a single edihce. 



" It is pleasant to watch the establishment and progress of a colony of these birds. 

 Suddenly they appeal', quite animated and enthusiastic, but undecided as yet, an 

 impromptu debating society on the fly, with a good deal of sawing the air to accomplish 

 before final resolutions are passed. The plot thickens ; some Swallows are seen clinging 

 to the slightest inequalities beneath the eaves, others are couriers to and from the 

 nearest mud-puddle, others again alight like feathers by the water's side, and all are in a 

 twitter of excitement. Watching closely these curious sous and daughters of Israel at 

 their ingenious trade of making bricks, we may chance to see a circle of them gathered 

 around the margin of the pool, insecurely balanced on their tiny feet, tilting their tails 

 and ducking their heads to pick up little gobs of mud. These are rolled round in their 

 mouths till tempered, and made like a quid into globular form, with a curious working 

 of their jaws ; then off go the birds, and stick the pellet against the wall, as carefully as 

 ever a sailor, about to spin a yarn, deposited his chew on the mantelpiece. The birds 

 work indefatigably ; they are busy as bees, and a steady stream flows back and forth for 

 several hours a day, with intervals for rest and refreshment, when the Swallows swarm 

 about promiscuously a-fly-catching. In an incredibly short time the basement of the 

 nest is laid, and the whole form becomes clearly outlined ; the mud dries quickly, and 

 there is a standing-place. This is soon occupied by one of the pair, probably the female, 

 who now stays at home to welcome her mate with redoubled cries of joy and ecstatic 

 quivering of the wings, as he brings fresh pellets, which the pair, in the closest consultation, 

 dispose to their entire satisfaction. In three or four clays, perhaps, the deed is done ; 

 the house is built, and nothing remains but to furnish it. The poultry -yard is visited, 

 and laid under contribution of feathers ; hay, leaves, rag, paj>er, string — Swallows are not 

 very particular — may be added ; and then the female does the rest of the ' furnishing ' 

 by her own particular self. Ivot impossibly, just at this period, a man comes with a 

 pole, and demolishes the whole affair ; or the enfant terrible of the premises appears, and 

 removes the eggs to enrich his sandy tray of like treasures ; or a tom-cat searches for 

 his supper. But more probably matters are so propitious that in due season the nest 

 decants a full brood of Swallows, and I wish nothing more harmful ever came out of 

 the bottle. 



" Seeing how these birds work the mud in their mouths, some have supposed that 

 the nests are agglutinated, to some extent at least, by the saliva of the birds. It is far 



