62 BIRDS AND MAN 



parent birds had excited the others and caused 

 them to gather near me, and that in the obscure 

 light they had mistaken me for some rapacious 

 animal. The right explanation (I think it the 

 right one) was found by chance three months 

 later. 



In August I was in Ireland, staying at a 

 country house among the Wicklow hills. There 

 were several swallows' nests in the stable, one or 

 two so low that they could be reached by the 

 hand, and the birds went in and out regardless of 

 the presence of any person. In a few days the 

 young were out, sitting in rows on the roof of 

 the house or on a low fence near it, where their 

 parents fed them for a short time. After these 

 young birds were able to take care of themselves 

 they stUl kept about the house, and were joined by 

 more swallows and martins from the neighbour- 

 hood. One bright sunny morning, when not 

 fewer than two or three score of these birds were 

 flying about the house, gaily twittering, I went 

 into the garden to get some fruit. All at once a 

 swallow uttered his loud shrill alarm cry overhead 

 and at the same time darted down at me, almost 

 grazing my hat, then mounting up he continued 



