THE SWALLOW 17 



arrival of either the father or the mother 

 bird. Cautiously the parent approaches, 

 chirping contentedly the while and bringing 

 the food in its bill. It flutters to the edge of 

 the nest, alights there, and drops the morsel 

 into the open mouth of the first youngster, i| 

 who, after receiving his portion, turns i 

 his back, while the fond parent carefully 

 picks up all the leavings 

 in the nest, flies off 

 a little distance 

 arid drops them 

 to the ground. 

 Then it goes away in 

 search of more food. 

 After a while it re- 

 turns and repeats the 

 scene with the second, with the third, and so 

 on to the last one. Then it begins anew 

 with the first and continues until all are 

 satisfied. So it does every day from morn- 

 ing until night, till at last the fledglings are 

 able to feed themselves. 



CAM. SW. BK. — 2 



