SWALLOW. 
m 
house-top as soon as the day begins to break. The 
anxious care of this little creature for the preservation 
of the eggs is placed in a very strong light by Pro- 
fessor Kalm, whose Travels into America contains the 
following anecdote, related to him by a respectable 
lady who witnessed the fact. “ A couple of swal- 
lows built their nest in the stable belonging to the 
lady ; and the female laid eggs in the nest, and was 
about to brood them. Some days after, the people 
saw the female still sitting on the eggs ; but the 
male, flying about the nest, and sometimes settling 
on a nail, was heard to utter a very plaintive note, 
which betrayed his uneasiness. On a nearer exa- 
mination the female was found dead in the nest, 
and the people flung her body away. The male 
then went to sit upon the eggs ; but after being 
about two hours on them, and perhaps finding the 
business too troublesome, he went out, and re- 
turned in the afternoon with another female, which 
sat upon the nest, and afterwards fed the young 
ones till they were able to provide for themselves.” 
The time when the young are hatched may be 
readily known by the passing and repassing of the 
parents, who are perpetually on the wing in search 
of food for them ; and this they continue with un- 
abating assiduity till the family no longer need 
their assistance. A person can hardly live long in 
the country without noticing the manners of these 
little domestic birds, who conduct their young as 
soon as they are fledged to the top of the chimney, 
where they may be seen quietly seated, and wait- 
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