The Swallows. 
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THE BIRD WORLD. 
well-known naturalists, and that they 
have been observed for a few days, 
compels us to entertain the fact. Per¬ 
sonally, I am of opinion that, enticed 
or deluded by the warm weather or a 
heat wave early in the year, that the 
birds started on their (to them short) 
journey to our country, and then, the 
cold weather having set in again, they 
took advantage of the next favourable 
wind to depart from whence they came. 
An Early Bird. 
I have a note in my natural history 
notebook of a Swallow having been seen 
by myself as early as March 27th in 
Cumberland, but there is no surprise at 
this observation, as the spring proved 
that year to be an exceptionally warm 
one, and consequently Nature was well 
advanced; but this year, particularly ?n 
the northern counties of England, Ire¬ 
land, and Scotland, things have been 
rather late. It is well known that 
Gilbert White, the renowned Selborne 
naturalist, to a certain extent credited 
the fact that the Swallow hibernated 
during the winter months, and, enticed 
by a spell of warm weather, reappeared 
early, thus accounting for its strange 
reappearance early in the year; but 
although the matter is one that will, I 
feel sure, take a very long time to sim¬ 
plify, still, in modern time, we are in 
a position to gather notes from all parts 
of the British Isles, and from almost 
every corner of the globe, which Gilbert 
White in his time was no doubt unable 
to procure and to take advantage of, 
and, of course, at this time it is a well 
authenticated fact that the Swallow cer¬ 
tainly does not hibernate, as was sup¬ 
posed by Mr. Gilbert White. 
The Swallow s Nest. 
It is well known how the Swallow 
will, with unerring skill, return to the 
same spot to build its nest year after 
year, and not long after it arrives it 
commences to build its pretty little nest, 
unless otherwise prevented by that pug¬ 
nacious little vagabond the Sparrow, 
who, when breeding, will not allow any¬ 
thing in the shape of feather to approach 
too near its habitat, although the Martin 
is more often the victim than the 
Swallow. The Swallow builds its nest . 
with hay straw, a few dried grasses, and 
mud; this latter I have often noticed it 
obtains from the cart ruts or the sides 
of the road, and usually gathers it in 
the early morning. The nest is lined 
with a few grasses and feathers, and the 
manner in which the nest is attached to 
the building is really a masterpiece of 
nest architecture. If the Chaffinch and 
the Long-Tailed Tit can boast of the 
prettiest nest, the Swallow certainly 
does not lack genius or go unprovided 
with some wise provision of Nature. 
“ Oh, how wise are the doings of Nature ! ” 
The nest being completed, the female 
deposits her pretty little eggs speckled 
with brown or red spots, there being 
usually four to six of these. 
The Shape of Eggs. 
The Swallow reminds me forcibly of 
the Greenfinch, in the fact that its eggs 
are sometimes very round and some¬ 
times more elongated. When the incu¬ 
bating period has elapsed and the 
young Swallows appear, the region 
round the nest is one continuous babble, 
every other minute one or other of the 
busy parents returning with some dainty 
morsel for these gaping, eager, queer¬ 
looking youngsters. What strange 
youngsters young Swallows are to be 
sure, and it is curious to notice that the 
particular organ which predominates 
throughout the Swallow family is from 
the earliest days prominent in the young 
Swallows, namely, their wide gape of 
mouth. It is usual for two broods 
to be reared during the year, the first 
brood taking wing about the end of 
June, and the second brood about the 
end of August, although I have seen 
young in the nest as late as September. 
The Markings of its Plumage. 
The adult male Swallow has the fore¬ 
head and throat chestnut brown, upper 
parts and rump metallic steel blue; 
underparts dull reddish-white, and the 
