SWALLOWS. 53 
prospects hopeless, left the pair to enjoy the fruits 
of their forethought. 
The latter of the two preceding anecdotes tends 
to corroborate a more bold and sagacious measure, 
adopted by a pair of Swallows, no doubt those of 
the preceding year; which, on arriving, found their 
old nest already occupied by a Sparrow, who kept 
the poor birds at a distance by pecking at them 
with its strong beak, whenever they attempted to 
dislodge it. Wearied, and hopeless of regaining 
possession of their own property, they at last hit 
upon a plan which effectually prevented the intruder 
from reaping the reward of its roguery. One morn- 
ing they appeared with a few more Swallows, — their 
mouths distended with a supply of tempered clay,— 
and, by joint labour, in a short time, actually plas- 
tered up the entrance-hole, thus punishing the 
Sparrow with imprisonment, and death, by starva- 
tion. This instance of apparent reasoning, occurred 
at a rectory-house, in Lancashire ; but a similar 
story is on record, near London, of a pair of Swallows 
calling in the assistance of their neighbours for the 
very same purpose. 
Swallows, too, like the Raven, (mentioned vol. i., 
p. 220), and probably many other birds will, when 
deprived of their mates, provide themselves with 
others, a fact, of which the following account, from an 
eye-witness, is a proof A couple of Swallows built 
their nest in a stable ; the female laid her eggs, and 
was observed to continue motionless beyond the 
time of hatching, while the male fluttered about, or 
occasionally settled on a projecting nail, uttering 
plaintive notes, which induced some persons at 
